Living just off the Gloucester Road in Bristol I am totally spoilt for independent stores. In fact it’s one of the reasons I moved here. I love that when I have a friend’s birthday coming up I know I can walk just five minutes up the road and pick out a present made and sold by a local designer or craftsperson.

I am really happy then this month to be bringing you a competition from The Dressing Room to celebrate Independent Retailer Month. The campaign highlights the important role smaller, local, independent retailers play in the communities they serve, the local economy they contribute to, and in the retail sector as a whole.

According to the Centre for Local Economic Strategies for every £1 that is spent with a local, independent business, between 50p-70p circulates back into that local economy. Buying locally supports local traders, their suppliers and the people they depend on to run their businesses. Buying locally boosts the local economy, rebuilding confidence in the community, enabling local businesses to prosper and grow.

Besides, isn’t it just nicer to know you are supporting a real person, their livelihood and their family, wherever they are, rather than a massive faceless organisation?

In the spirit of all things indie The Dressing Room, an online indie fashion boutique, are giving one of my readers £150 to spend on their gorgeous American Vintage range. The range is full of really stylish but practical pieces in beautiful colours. One of my favourite items is this jacket, called the ‘Fayettville printed pineapple jacket’ because, believe it or not, of all the places in the US, I have actually been to Fayettville! It’s just down the road from where I drank my milkshake.

American Vintage

If you’d like to win £150 to spend on new clothes (obvious question of the day) then just get friendly with the little widget below. The competition will close at the end of Indie Retailer Month on 31st July.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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I am not the most organised of people but I make up for it by being pretty organised.

That sounds weird right?

Let me explain what I mean. One thing I am hopeless at is remembering birthdays. I know this about myself though, so at home keep a big box of cards and wrapping paper and small gifts so that when (normally if) I remember the night before that I’ve forgotten a friend’s birthday I can rummage in my box of goodies. Tada!

It even makes more sense financially as you can bulk buy when things are on offer. Goodness me, how annoyingly efficient I am. View Post

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I am a Taurus.

This means I am all about the good things in life. “Think physical pleasures and material goods,” says one website, “for those born under this sign revel in delicious excess. Taurus adores comfort and likes being surrounded by pleasing, soothing things. Along these lines, they also favour a good meal and a fine wine.”

It is true. I do revel in delicious excess.

A situation like this is my idea of a good time: View Post

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The competitions just keep rolling in here at Slummy single mummy!

Today, following our recent review of the LEGO Wear range at www.miniwardrobe.com, I am able to give you the chance to win a Giokit of your choice.

Giokit is a new idea in children’s wear, where each piece becomes a creative opportunity. The kits contain everything that kids need to colour, decorate and customize their own t-shirt. Pretty cool, huh?

After a 40° wash, all the colours and decorations disappear and the t-shirt will be ready for another new art session. Hours of fun for those kids who prefer to draw on a wall/random object rather than paper. I quite wish they did them in grown up sizes, that way you could just buy the one t-shirt and draw a different design on it every day to look like you have a whole wardrobe full of t-shirts. That’s how it works, right? View Post

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This may seem a bit of an odd one, but bear with me. I have a bit of a soft spot for ARDO as when Belle was born, (and they were called something else), we lived about two minutes walk from their head offices in Taunton and I was always popping in for much needed nipple cream.

Ah, the stories I could tell you about my cracked nipples.

When Belle was a few months old and the cracks were healing nicely, I started training as a breastfeeding counsellor, and breastfeeding became a big part of my live for a long time. I won’t bore you with the details, but you can read a bit more of my story over on the ARDO blog if you feel so inclined. View Post

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You know how Jamie Oliver chucks stuff about and whazzes things up and then at the end has this amazing looking meal all laid out casually yet beautifully on a piece of driftwood?

That could be you!

Cookery classes

OK, I can’t guarantee it will turn out quite like that, but you can have a good go at it if you win this competition. I’ve got £40 of vouchers to spend on any workshop you like at Recipease, Jamie’s food and kitchen shop where ‘anyone can learn to cook and make great food.’ View Post

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In our house we live by the William Morris mantra – ‘Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.’ That is, we often recklessly throw away things that other people would probably keep, thinking they ‘might come in handy one day’. We have an assortment of pretty trinkets cluttering up our rather small house instead of useful things like pot lids or mops.

The UK is now building the smallest houses in Europe, with an average new build one bedroom house now being roughly the size of a tube train carriage. I kid you not. This being the case, it can often be difficult to know how to furnish your home effectively, with both useful and beautiful things, to make it look less like a tube carriage with beds and more like a double page spread in a Laura Ashley catalogue.

Luckily the latest competition here at Slummy Single Mummy is here to help. I’m giving you the chance to win £150 to spend at Amara.co.uk, a website full of stylish designer homeware, accessories and gifts. From cutlery to incense sticks to garden lighting, Amara has everything you could need for a beautiful and useful home.

Here are some of my favourite things from the site, in case you win and decide to send me a belated birthday gift:

Orla Keily Abascus Tomato Bed Linen.

Orla Keily Abascus Tomato Bed Linen.

Melody rose drangonfly teapot

Melody rose drangonfly teapot

Rob Ryan faux leather coin purse

Rob Ryan faux leather coin purse

There are a few different ways to enter, and every method you use counts as an extra entry:

1. Leave a comment on this blog post telling me what essential/beautiful thing you couldn’t live without at home. Kettle? Diamante encrusted cat ornament?

2. Tweet the following – I’d love to win £150 worth of designer homeware from @AmaraLiving and @mummyblogger http://ht.ly/krzA1  #competition

3. Like Amara on Facebook

4. Follow Amara on Twitter

Just leave a comment to let me know which you do. The competition will close on 15th May 2013 and you can read the full T&Cs here.

Good luck!

As seen on ThePrizeFinder – UK Competitions

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I don’t need to say any more than that do I?

Personally, I’m a massive cocktail fan. Mostly I don’t actually like the taste of alcohol, so any alcoholic drink that I can actually enjoy for the flavour is great for a start. I also love the glamour of it. Sipping a cocktail from a Martini glass makes me feel like a Bond girl, even if I am at home in my pyjamas.

(Not that I would drink cocktails at home in my pyjamas. Gosh no. Who would do that? *ahem*)

Recently I was given the not really very arduous task of testing out the new pre-mixed range of cocktails from Tails Cocktails. The idea behind them is that you can get all the fabulous flavour of a freshly mixed cocktail, but you don’t need to worry about tossing it all up in the air Tom Cruise style and dropping it on your head. (I am quite clumsy). They come in miniatures, or large bottles for taking to dinner parties as a fancy alternative to a bottle of wine. View Post

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It feels like a bit of an oxymoron doesn’t it? A rock and roll cushion.

I like it though. It makes me feel like the evenings I spend on the sofa, doing a spot of knitting with my feet and up watching reruns of Jonathan Creek really might be cool after all.*

Even if I’m not though, this cushion most definitely is rock and roll. Come on, look at it!

Rock and roll cushion View Post

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Well goodness me, I was so busy pottering around in Ethiopia and what not, that I totally forgot until today that I was in the middle of running a competition to win a load of Yeo Valley goodies! Good timing though, as I had cleverly set the closing date for yesterday, the day I got back. I surprise myself sometimes with my genius.*

Anyway, drum roll please, I’ve picked a winner!

*bangs hands against side of desk in lieu of drum kit*

(I did actually do that. You have to do something to brighten the day when you work at home on your own.)

The winner is… View Post

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THIS COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED

I’ve always been a massive fan of YeoValley, and not just because the let me drive a tractor. I just think there are some companies that are Nice and Proper, you know what I mean? They make you feel good about buying and eating their products, and I never even minded getting stuck behind their lorries on my old Bridgwater to Bath commute.

Yeo Valley is launching a new Limited Edition yogurt, with a delicious and zingy 0% Fat Lemon and Poppy Seed flavour and thanks to me (tada!), you could win some. In fact, you could win more than just yogurt… View Post

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THIS COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED

I don’t really need to say anything more than that do I?

This is a chocolate hamper with a bit of a difference though, so while you’re stuffing your face you can feel a bit virtuous too. This chocolate hamper has been very kindly donated by RunNative, an online marketplace for UK social enterprises. Gifts bought from RunNative have a direct impact on communities and lives.

This chocolate hamper is from Chocolate Memories, an emerging social firm, established in 2010 by charity group Autism Initiatives. Based in County Down, Northern Ireland, the business offers training opportunities to people with Autism Spectrum Condition. The team at Chocolate Memories blend the finest quality chocolate with delicious flavour combinations, creating an unforgettable taste experience. All profits are reinvested back into the business to fulfil the social aims and objectives.

Enough about that though. To the chocolate!

This is what’s up for grabs – the large luxury hamper, which includes a selection of products from the Chocolate Memories range presented in a beautiful basket. (Not necessarily the products shown, but they will choose you a good range.)

"Chocolate hamper"

*drools*

There are a few different ways to enter. Each will count as one entry, so the more you do, the more chances you have to win/get fat!

  • Leave a comment on this post telling me what your favourite chocolate treat is
  • Go and like me on Facebook and leave a comment there saying hello
  • Follow me on Twitter and tweet the following – “#Win a chocolate hamper with @mummyblogger http://ht.ly/hBQyk”
  • Sign up to receive new posts by email. (You’re free to unsubscribe at any time if you get bored. I won’t give you a Chinese burn or anything).

The competition will close on 28th February and you can read the full T&Cs here.

Good luck!
As featured on ThePrizeFinder – UK Competitions

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