Top 4 Factors to Help you Choose the Best Local MOT Centre

When you are travelling with family, you need to take care of your vehicle's condition because if the car is not road worthy and has cleared its MOT, it can cause you alot of inconvenience.

If you think that one MOT centre is much like another, then you couldn't be more wrong. Although all MOT centres need to provide a certain level of service or they'd lost their accreditation, not all places you could have your MOT conducted are the same. What should motorists be looking out for if they want to ensure that they will receive a high level of service?

1.Check for Genuine Accreditation - Although an MOT can only be legally conducted by an approved mechanic, some people try to pull the wool over their customers' eyes and conduct MOTs without the proper authorisation. If so, then you could be driving illegally thinking that your car has passed its annual test. In London, for example, trading standards officers sometimes have to close down garages which operate in this manner. Check for the right certification when you book an MOT and make sure it is still valid and not out of date. You can get a genuine MOT in the London area now by booking at DAT Tyres' site.

2.Look Out for Reviews - Not all garages have a good level of customer service. What do other people say about a mechanic you are considering? Check local review sites to ensure the place you will have your MOT conducted is a reputable trader in your area.

3.Consider Specialisms - MOTs are a series of basic but important checks that ensure you will be able to drive safely. However, having a full service takes more skill from a mechanic. Therefore, you should check out the other services on offer outside of an MOT, such as an air-conditioning gas fill up, for example.

4.Ensure You Know the Charges - Mechanics who conduct MOTs should have a transparent pricing policy. Extras and small fixes should be available from a price list you can check. If the garage is cagey about pricing, then make a booking elsewhere.

- collaborative post

Car Tyre Care Tips

Whether you have a new or old car, it's so important to maintain your car. There are a few things you need to maintain and check on a car. But one of the main things is to make sure you check your car tyres, it's also a great idea to get into a habit of checking for any damage to your tyres. From damage, punctures and worn out tyres, there's a lot to maintain but it's so important to get into the habit of checking them. You can get your car tyres in London from the best autocentres in town - Iverson Tyres Ltd London. Explore their website now to learn more.

Every tyre should last your a good amount of miles, for example, front tyres should get you 20,000 miles minimum for a front-wheel drive and double that for a four-wheel drive. But it's important to keep an eye on the tread of your tyes. The minimum depth for treads is 1.6mm and anything below, you must replace your tyres as it is illegal and unsafe to drive on the roads with treads lower than 1.6mm.

It's also recommended that you get someone professional to look at your car tyres once your tyres are five years old or over. This is so they can have a good check and make sure that there is no damage at all on them. It's also recommended that if you haven't replaced your tyres 10 years after their date of manufacture, then it's best to do so.

As said above, it's good to get into a habit of checking your tyres and another reason for this is to check the pressure of your tyres. For example, for a partial load, your front tyres should be 30 psi and for a fully loaded car, your front tyres should be 26 psi. Your rear tyres should be 30psi for a partial load and 36 psi for a full load. It's quite easy to notice and feel a low-pressure tyre, but some car models, mostly newer models will have a low tyre pressure warning light on your dashboard. If you're unsure that it only needs air, do not hesitate to get the tyres seen by professionals.

Lastly, when you drive your car it's important to keep notice of any unusual sounds or movements. For example, if your car seems to be vibrating unusually then it's a big warning sign. It is important to take your car to the garage to get your tyres checked. One of the reasons for this could be an alignment problem or a damaged suspension, which will need to be looked at and possibly replacement of your tyres too.

This is a collaborative post.

How To Make A Family Holiday Extra Special

The family summer vacation should always be a highlight of the year and create new memories for you all to cherish. Unfortunately, these vacations often do not live up to expectation and can cause a huge amount of stress. If you want to make this year’s family holiday extra special, then there are a few steps that you could take which will make a big difference. Following these tips could help this year’s holiday to stand out and be one which you all always remember and one which brings you all closer together. Read on for a few suggestions for how to make this year’s holiday extra special.

•   Go With Friends/Family

One way to make this holiday one which stands out is to go with friends or extended family. Having other families to spend time with can add another dimension to the holiday and bring plenty of fun (just make sure that it is people that you are all happy to spend time with!).

They do not necessarily have to stay with you, and you do not have to do everything together, but it can be nice to have a few more people along for the trip and bring you closer together.

•   Try Something New

A holiday should be time for chilling out and recharging your batteries, but it is also a good chance to try something new and expand your horizons. This can add fun to the vacation, make it more memorable and could help to give your kids a confidence boost.

What you do will depend on where you are and what your interests are, but it could be something like a hot air balloon ride, a cooking lesson, riding a horse, scuba diving etc. It is always a good idea to encourage your kids to step out of their comfort zone, but you should not force them into doing something that they don’t want to do.

•   Book Private Accommodation

When you are on a family vacation, it is nice if you can have privacy and a home away from home. Booking into private accommodation can provide this for you so that you can enjoy meals together, relax in privacy when you do not feel like going out and feel settled.

A cottage in Cornwall is a nice idea because there are many beautiful, charming and practical cottages to choose from at places like Portscatho Holidays and Cornwall is a brilliant place for a family vacation. It is an area of great beauty with lots of coastal walks and inviting towns to explore - you could even bring your dog along with you to make the trip extra special.

Family vacations are incredibly important, yet sometimes they do not live up to expectation and can sometimes not be as memorable as you’d hoped. It is for this reason why it is important to be aware of a few reasons how you can make a summer family holiday extra special - this ensures that it will be a holiday that you and the kids cherish forever and enjoy together.

- this is a collaborative post

Where Should You Stay In London To Experience The Capital At Its Best?

London is a vast, sprawling city, covering over 400 square miles. The majority of it, though, won’t be

on the average tourist’s itinerary. When it comes down to it, the best of London can be found in a few

concentrated districts. If you’re planning a trip to the capital, where should you stay to experience it at

its best?

Notting Hill

Wikimedia Commons

Notting Hill is a little bit off the beaten track and quite some distance from tourist hotspots around St

Paul’s, Leicester Square and Oxford Street. But that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t visit it or stay

there to experience London life at its most authentic.

Notting Hill has a different vibe from many other parts of the city. Whereas people in the City and

surrounding areas will walk right past you or ignore you in bars, those in Notting Hill aren’t averse

to striking up a conversation, especially if you’re from overseas.

Notting Hill is home to some of London’s swankiest auction houses. You’ll often find artwork on sale

here for hundreds of thousands, if not millions of pounds. But there are also a plethora of

budget-friendly hotels, include La Suite West.

Perhaps the most famous hotel in the area is the Portobello, but even this is affordable for most,

starting at about £150 per night for a basic suite.

The West End

Wikipedia

The West End is a district of the city of London to the west of the financial district at to the north of the

river Thames. Historically, it was the residential area for wealthy financiers and successful city

businessmen and their families. Over time, however, the district has become increasingly associated

with politics and the theatre scene. Ticket touts sell West End tickets on the streets and in box offices

to a variety of shows, making this an excellent destination for tourists.

The West End doesn’t quite have the friendliness of a place like Camden or Notting Hill, and it can be

a little deserted at certain times in the week, but it offers stunning architecture, charming side streets,

and good access to some of London’s most famous parks.

Kensington

Kensington is a quintessentially London area, and it contains the sort of housing that many people

overseas might imagine permeates the entire capital. Kensington, home to Kensington Palace, is

situated around a beautiful park. The neighbourhood itself is lovely, and there are plenty of places to

eat and drink, including great cafes.

Hotels in the area range from budget to luxury. If you’re trying to keep the cost of your trip down, then

you might want to stay at the Park Grand London Kensington, which provides bed and breakfast

starting from £130 per person, per night.

The luxury 11 Cadogan Gardens lies close to Sloane Station and offers one of the best overnight

stays in the entire area.

Are you planning a trip to London soon? If you are, make sure that you stay in an area that allows

you to experience the city at its best and most authentic.

- this is a collaborative post.

A Charming & Practical Childs’ Bedroom: 3 Steps

For kids, their bedroom isn't just a place where they sleep and keep their stuff. In fact, it's a sanctuary where
they can let their imaginations run riot as well. For parents, however, achieving a space that is both practical
and the magical can be something of a challenge. Luckily, that is precisely why I have written the post below,
so keep reading for some steps that will help you reach that balance.

Image here

Step one: the basics

First of all, no matter how charming you want the room to be, it's essential to get the practicalities and basics
sorted. What this means is ensuring that the room is safe for the child to spend time in and that it has all the
furniture items that they need.

Of course, the most essential piece of furniture in a bedroom is the bed, and the good news is that when it
comes to ones built for children, there are a whole range of fun options that are still practical too. Options
that include things like a cabin bed, with space underneath for a desk and storage, or even a tented option.
The latter being a partially smart choice for encouraging imaginative play.

However, a functional bedroom space will not only need a bed, but other pieces of furniture as well,
including a wardrobe for storing clothes, and if there is enough room, toys too. Happily, you can often
find some real bargains like these best price wardrobes online. Something that will allow you to save up
more money to spend on the other more fun aspect of the room, as described below.

Step two: a theme

Once you have the basics sorted, it time to embrace the fun and pick a theme to decorate the room around.
The best thing about using a theme to decorate a child's room is that it can be anything they like. In fact,
allowing your child to have some say in what it will be is always a good idea.

Although, doing so doesn't mean that you have to end up with garish wallpaper, and posters that are branded
with their favourite TV show if you don't want.

In fact, if you are looking for a cleaner, more minimalistic look, that is still fun for the kids, then why not go
for a jungle theme? Then you can work with a neutral white background and add pops of colour with things
like giant stuffed animals, walls stickers, and even decorative hooks as a more subtle way of making the space
fun.

Step three: bedding and soft furnishing

Finally, when it comes to choosing the bedding and other textiles for your child's bedroom, remember that
there is a substantial range of options out there. In fact, you can get some very stylish and understated pieces
that are still aimed at kids.

There are also some pretty amazing shaped throw pillows and other textile decorations that you can add
to their room to encourage a sense of fun, magic, and wonder as well. All while still staying as stylish and
practical as possible.

- Collaborative post

Free Smyths Toystore Party This Bank Holiday

How quick is May going this year? With a mix of bank holidays and school holidays, it's flying by. This upcoming Bank Holiday weekend on Saturday the 25th of May, Smyths Toystores around the country are throwing a FREE party for all families. You can check out what theme parties are happening at your local Smyths store here.

I'm a big fan of Smyths Toys and actually gutted that I am unable to attend our local Smyths store to join in with all the fun. The party will start from 9am and it's a free day full of fun including, face paitings, DJs and there are even prizes to be won.

If you're local to me, then it's a Toy Story 4 party that will be held in Llandudno's Smyths stores and there's Toy Story 4 minis, stickers and posters to be won. Not only that but there's also a chance to win £50 vouchers every hour from 10am to 1pm. There's tonnes of fun to be had in Smyths stores this Bank Holiday.

Check out here what free parties are being held in your local Smyths store.

- This is a sponsored post with Smyths Toys.

The Antelope Inn, Bangor

The Antelope Inn is located in Bangor and right next to the stunning suspension bridge, Menai Bridge. The views of the Menai Straits is just breathtaking. The Antelope Inn has undergone a refurbishment and we were kindly given some free meals to review the pub restaurant. The Antelope Inn is a pub that I have been going to every now and then, for years ever since I was a child myself.

Firstly, The Antelope has now opened as a Sizzling Pub & Grill and they have a brand new menu. The main menu has a great range of foods from your classic pub food to your burgers, curries and much more. There’s a great choice of food to choose from. There’s also a separate menu for Vegetarians and Vegans which I thought was great as not many pub restaurants cater much for Vegetarians or Vegans.

Another menu was the kid's menu, which catered for under and over 5s. There’s fantastic offer on the kid's menu where you can order a main meal, dessert and a drink for just £3.99 for under 5s and £4.99 for over 5s, all day and every day. Another offer that happens from Monday to Friday between 3pm and 7pm are kids eat for just £1 with every adult meal that’s ordered.

There are many other offers available in The Antelope such as:

Soft Drink and Burger – Get yourself a free soft drink with every burger that you order.

2 for £10 – There’s a various selection of meals you can choose from in the 2 meals for just £10, all day, every day.

Golden Years – If you’re over 60 years old, you can enjoy a two-course meal for just £4.99 between 12pm and 5pm, Monday – Friday.

Drink and Lunch – Pop in and grab a free soft drink with every lunch meal ordered.

Offers and deals at Antelope Inn

The service in The Antelope Inn was fantastic. I can not say anything negative about the customer service and they were all super friendly. We were greeted with a warm welcome and we were also checked on a couple of times while we were sat on our table. A waiter also came up to us to ask if we had been before and to let us know that we order at the bar. Which I personally think is great, seeing as not many new visitors will know this.

When we ordered our food, we were surprised that we didn’t have to wait that long. We ordered two main meals, two kids meals and three sides. The food was presented really nicely and it all looked delicious. My partner went for the Pepper Jack Stack which as you can see in the photo, is two beef burgers topped with melted Pepper Jack cheese, bacon and onion rings. This meal also came with a side of chips too. It cost £10.29 and for the size and the taste, we both thought it was reasonably priced.

I ordered the classic Chicken Tikka Masala which came with two popadoms and a bowl of rice. I also added a naan bread, 2 onion bhajis and mango chutney for an extra £1.50. The Chicken Tikka Masala itself was £7.79. The meal was delicious, the only negative about this meal was the side naan bread which I couldn’t eat because it was overcooked. But otherwise, the curry was delicious.

The kid's meals were: chicken nuggets, chips and garden peas for Freddie and Elliw chose Toad in the hole with side chips. They were able to choose which sides and extras they wanted with their main part of the meal, which is great because most kids can be quite fussy with foods. The portions were perfect sizes for their ages.

The waiter cleared up the table not long after we finished and we went to order some dessert. I wasn’t going to order anything until I saw their Caramel and Vanilla cheesecake on the menu. My partner went for a cup of coffee, and the kids went for a Make Your Own Sundae from the kid's menu.

Again, the deserts were pretty quick and we didn’t have to wait long. The cheesecake was absolutely delicious, it was also topped with my favourite biscuit: Lotus Biscoff. Both kids really enjoyed their desserts and loved making their own sundae with all the treats that came with it.

Overall, I am overly pleased with the service and the food that we had at The Antelope Inn. I would most definitely recommend this pub to anyone who is looking for somewhere to eat in Bangor. On a nice day, you could also eat outside and there are two outdoor areas; one area is attached to the pub and the other area is in a grass area. Both areas have amazing views of the Menai Straits and it’s the ideal place to go on a summers day.

The Antelope Inn is also a great place to host parties or events. They have big enough tables to cater for large groups of people and it’s definitely a place that won’t disappoint. Why not take a walk along Treborth Coastal Path after your meal? Again, the views are pretty breathtaking! 

-          Our meals were kindly gifted in return for an honest review. All photos, opinions and words are entirely my own. 

Baby Born Surprise! Review

These sweet and adorable Baby Born Surprise! dolls are going to be loved by many kids out there. There are 12 different surprise dolls to collect and each one is sold separately. Each Baby Born Surprise! is wrapped in a Baby Born logo fabric and when you unwrap it will reveal which beautiful new baby you have.

Every baby's eyes are closed and this is where the fun part comes in. To find out baby's eye colours you need a damp cloth and gently rub the eyes until they reveal what colour they are. Not only that, but you can feed your baby water with the bottle that comes with the Baby Born Surprise! and your baby's nappy will change colour and pattern too.

Baby Born Surprise! will be a huge hit this year in my opinion. They are absolutely adorable and I am certain your little ones will love to take care of them every day. Imaginative play is great for children as they are growing. I also love watching my kids play and listening to their stories and games. It's always so interesting to listen to what they say during play.

Have you seen the new Baby Born Surprise! Dolls out yet?

-  We were kindly gifted these items in return for an honest review.

Baby Annabell Milly Feels Better

Baby Annabell was the doll I always dreamed on having when I was a little girl and now my kids are getting a chance to review some Baby Annabell dolls such as the Baby Annabell Sophia and the My First Baby Annabell dolls. For today's review, the kids were sent the new Baby Annabell Milly Feels Better doll and the first thing I loved about this doll was her adorable colourful sleepsuit and hat. It's a full white sleepsuit with lots of different coloured sheep, which is Baby Annabell's logo.

Milly is a full 43cm interactive doll and a brilliant doll for imaginative play. Four other items are included with Milly and they are the thermometer, stethoscope, medicine spoon and a syringe. Milly's cheeks will turn red when she needs attention and this is when your little one can step in and be the doctor for the day to help Milly feel better by checking her heartbeat with the stethoscope, check her temperature with the thermometer and give her her medicine with the medicine spoon that's included.

Not only does Milly's cheeks turn red when she needs attention, but she also laughs and giggles when she gets tickled. Her arms and legs are moveable. Her eyes also shut when she lies down to go to sleep. There are hours of fun to be had with this adorable Baby Annabell Milly doll. She's a good weight and your little one will absolutely adore her.

- We were kindly gifted this item. However, all words, images and opinions are entirely our own.

Getting Creative With Casdon Wooden Easel

Both my girls have always loved crafts and just getting creative. They also love role playing teachers, and so when they received the Casdon Wooden Easel they were over the moon. The easel board is double sided with one side as a whiteboard and the other is a blackboard. It was pretty easy to put together and didn't take too much time - which is always a bonus, isn't it?

Height wise, it's not very tall but it's an ideal size for children. The easel board is suitable for ages 3 years and over. All three of my kids have loved and still love playing with this easel board. It's a great way to help develop their creative skills and imaginative play skills. They have spent hours playing teachers and school using both white and chalkboard.

The set also contains water beakers, chalk pack, wiper and clips which is handy for attaching paper if your child wants to paint. It's a great product for little ones who love to be creative and imaginative. It's not the strongest of products, but it's sturdy enough and I would definitely recommend this easel board if you're looking for one for your child.

- We were kindly gifted this item in return for an honest review.
All words, images and opinions are entirely our own.

Casdon Morphy Richards Kitchen Set

If you've followed my blog for a while, you may know that we are huge Casdon fans and have been extremely lucky to have reviewed Casdon products in the past. Each product we receive from Casdon have been great quality and always loved. So when we were given another chance to review another product of theirs, I knew the kids would love the product just as much as the others.

This time the kids were gifted the Casdon Morphy Richards Kitchen Set which again, didn't disappoint. I love how modern the kitchen set is with its very own fillable coffee machine. The fillable coffee maker allows water to pour into the coffee pot that is included in the set. It's perfect for role play and imaginative play.

My 2.5 year old and 7 year old have loved role-playing cafe's and pretending they're serving food to me and their dad. The set also comes with crockery, cutlery and play food which extends play for longer. The kids have spent hours playing with this set and it's still loved a couple of weeks later. It's at a reasonable size and great for any child who loves to copycat the adults!

- We were gifted this product in return for an honest review.