Following on from my girl’s eye review of the BMW 2 Series Gran Tourer last week, here’s my fiancé with his thoughts…

I’ve always rather liked BMWs.

As a child in the 1980s, to me they epitomised the idea of what you drove if you were successful. A family friend had a BMW that was immaculate, and it felt like you were being chauffeur-driven when you were in it. Then, James Bond had some fun in a Z3 in Goldeneye and I was obsessed with wanting one. I was gutted when as a 20-year-old I asked my Dad if he’d buy me one if he won the lottery. “Nope,” he answered. “You would wrap it around a tree.”

And that was the end of that. An old lady we knew gave me her Peugeot 106 when she became too old to drive and I was happy with my lot. It was an automatic, and while, like its former owner, it was senior in years, and its white paint had become faded and rusty, the fridge, (as she was affectionately known), did me well until a door fell off on the South Circular and I paid a scrap man to take her away. View Post

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Beauty and the beast theme partyThe beauty of having a daughter called Belle is that when it comes to Disney princess related gifts or themes, you’re never in two minds about which to go for.

Cinderella of course!

Only kidding.

I couldn’t throw a Disney Princess birthday party for Belle and not make it Beauty and the Beast themed party now, could I? You might think that turning 13 makes you a bit old for a Beauty and the Beast party, but I say you’re never too old to feel like a princess. Ever.

*adjusts tiara whilst typing*

It ties in rather nicely with the Sky Movies competition we’re running at the moment too, as we can either have the film running in the background, or save it for when things get a little frantic and I’m looking for an excuse to get everyone sat down quietly. (That is, five minutes after the guests arrive.) Sky also very kindly sent us a big trunk full of Beauty and the Beast themed goodies, to help us get the movie party started, with everything from a popcorn maker to princess tiaras.

So now I’ve got a ton of ideas about how to throw a Beauty and the Beast themed party!

beauty and the beast themed party ideas

Given the number of characters in Beauty and the Beast who are based on items of crockery, a tea party feels like the obvious theme, and luckily old floral cups and saucers are ten a penny in charity shops. To help inspire you, here are eight of my very best ideas for throwing a Beauty and the Beast themed party: View Post

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That’s a pretty awesome name isn’t it? Professor Scrubbington’s Emporium of Clean. I don’t remember kids’ toiletries being quite so funky when I was small. Wasn’t it just Matey or nothing? I did love a bit of Matey though, but who didn’t? I can smell it now.

*sigh*

Still, things move on, times change. Now it’s not enough just to rinse your kids under a cold tap once a week, you have to actually care about what you put on their skin. Apparently. Everything in Professor Scrubbington’s range is designed with this in mind, so the hand wash, body wash, shampoo and conditioner are all free from parabens and SLS.

(That’s Sodium Lauryl Sulphate for all you parents thinking ‘who? Weren’t they on X Factor?’ No, that’s JLS.) View Post

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Following on from our review a few weeks ago of the Smart Car, this month we’ve gone to the opposite end of the spectrum, by reviewing a BMW 2 Series Gran Tourer. My fiancé is going to be giving you his boy’s eye view too, but in the meantime, I’m going to tell you how it’s been settling in from my point of view.

So, to start with, it’s white.

I’m kidding. Girls know more about cars than colour, dur.

It is though, that’s not made up. Here it is, getting to know our existing car, in the style of two dogs meeting for the first time:

BMW 2 Series Gran Tourer review

There were a couple of things that initially struck me about the BMW 2 Series Gran Tourer. The first is the size.

It’s big. (That’s the technical term.)  View Post

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When my sister left the country, we were saying goodbye not just to them, but to the house that has been one of the constants throughout my whole life. My Grandad built it at the beginning of the 1950s and lived in it with my Grandma for the next 60 years or so. My Grandma then sadly died, followed swiftly by my Grandad, and my sister and her family have lived in it for the last three years.

It feels silly to feel so attached to a house, but it has just always been there. I even cried when my brother-in-law moved the kitchen door. I have a bad memory, but if I shut my eyes now I can walk through the whole house, (being careful on the shiny parquet floor), just as it always was when I was small. I can picture every detail and smell every smell.

Just to make sure I don’t ever forget, these are some of the things I remember most vividly about my Grandma and Grandad and their house:

I remember the closeness between them, never seeing one without the other.

I remember the smell of sage and onion as you came through the side door into the kitchen, even though I don’t remember eating many roast dinners. View Post

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“A satisfying nibble that offers a little of what you fancy.”

No not that, don’t be rude, I’m talking about cheese.

It’s how The Laughing Cow describe their new Mini Cravings – little cubes of cheese with only 14 calories each. They’re tasty too, coming in a variety of strong flavours including garlic and herb, three cheese, (because one cheese is never enough), and ham and herb. They come in packs of 24, so even if you eat all them at once, (which isn’t really the idea), you can probably still pass it off as a light lunch.

mini cravings laughing cow

 

Looking at the picture I had a little flashback to soft cheese I used to eat as a child that came in a pack with different flavours – possible triangles in a wheel. Do you remember those, or did I dream them?

Anyway, I was thinking about the whole idea of cravings, (cue seamless link into something else), and that whole idea of ‘a little bit of what you fancy’, and it reinforced for me how important it is to have things in your life that you do for yourself, cravings that you indulge. It could be a cube of ham and herb cheese, or it could be something bigger, like taking a few days away from everything once a year to reflect on your goals, ambitions and achievements.  View Post

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You may remember me writing about festival fashion for kids a little while ago, when I shared with you some of my favourite pieces from Melijoe.com, a site that’s full of funky, fashionable and great quality kids’ clothes that children love as much as parents.

If you’ve been to a festival already this year, and are now back at home, chances are you’re already starting to think about that time that always seems to creep up on us every year – back to school time. If like me you spend the last week of August running around frantically searching for school skirts, lunchboxes and pencil cases and standing in line for shoe fittings, you’ll know how stressful shopping for school stuff is.

However, Melijoe.com has some lovely back to school items at the moment, so you can check some things off that list now!  View Post

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Have you ever been camping, and woken up in the middle of the night to find your air bed has sprung a slow puncture and your hip is resting gently on the hard ground?

Have you ever been a passenger in a car, where the driver has put his foot down sharply, leaving you feeling slightly queasy?

Now imagine those sensations blended together. Add in a gentle yet disconcerting sloshing sound, drink a bottle of wine, and there you are, on a water bed.

When I was growing up in the 1980s, water beds were the epitome of cool. They were a proper fad – suddenly everyone who was anyone, (i.e. no one I knew), had one, and I longed for one of my own. I imagined it would be amazing, like sleeping on a little boat, bobbing happily along a calm river.

It was not. View Post

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“That’s not a towel,” said my fiancé, “it’s a scarf.”

“It is a towel,” I assured him, “from Hammamas, but you can use it as about a million other things, like a beach blanket, or a sarong, or even a table cloth.”

“Or a scarf,” he said, winding it around his neck. “This one is mine.”

And so that was that.

Hammamas towel review View Post

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I’m no stranger to financial troubles. As a young, single parent, I found myself in a good amount of debt, and totally understand how easy it is for money issues to spiral out of control. Fortunately pay day loans weren’t so prevalent 15 years ago, or I could have ended up in a proper pickle. 

Luckily, payday loans aren’t the only option if you need money urgently. You might be able to get a budgeting loan, hardship payment, short term benefit advance, or even a grant. Single parent charity Gingerbread has put together this really handy video, to tell you all about your options, whether you need help with paying the rent, utility bills, or for a one-off purchase.

Gingerbread provides advice and practical support to single parents, and campaigns to make sure their voices are heard. You can find out more on their website.

Please do share this video with any friends you think may be in need of help or support.

 

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It’s a tough old life being a blogger. A couple of weeks ago I had a day out that’s the perfect example – I popped down to Cornwall, ate some mini pasties, tried on bras at the Mish Lingerie shop, had an ice cream… it was all very stressful indeed.

buy lingerie online

buy lingerie online

Who am I kidding?? It was awesome! Seriously, I know I must be about the most annoying person in the world, always blathering on about my mini breaks and days out, but bear with me today, for I bring you a serious message.

Today I’m talking bras.

First up, a confession. I am one of those women who dresses for comfort. I may only be 37, but wardrobe wise I’m about 68. If I could get away with ordering all of my trousers from a Sunday supplement then I probably would because, let’s be honest, who wouldn’t rather have an elasticated waistband? Unfortunately, this makes me a bra fitter’s worst nightmare, as I’m the sort of person to think ‘I’ll just go up a back size, just to be comfy…’ View Post

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As you may know, a couple of years ago I visited Ethiopia with World Vision, and ever since I have sponsored a child there – Eyerus. If you can’t commit to child sponsorship, you can support World Vision with one off donations too.

So, what’s the problem?

Poverty, conflict and disaster leave millions of children living in fear. Fear of hunger and disease. Fear of violence, conflict and exploitation. Fear that robs them of a childhood.

How does your organisation set out to solve it? What makes your approach unique?

Our local staff work in thousands of communities across the world to free children from fear. We live and work alongside children and their families to help change the world they live in for good.

Our worldwide presence means we’re quick to respond to emergencies like conflict and natural disasters. We also use our influence and global reach to ensure that children are represented at every level of decision-making.

We can do this because people like you are prepared to sponsor, donate, pray, campaign or simply share the stories of boys and girls who have been given lasting hope for the future. View Post

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