Lee Stafford Academy Ionic Hair Straighteners - Review

I have very big, fluffy, unruly hair. It is so vast, it has even been documented previously, when I donated a lot of it to The Little Princess Trust. That was over three years ago and I haven't had it cut since, so it's pretty long now, too. So, when I was offered some Lee Stafford Hair Straighteners to review, I thought this would give them a real challenge. I've only ever used GHDs on my hair previously, because it really takes some taming and I was not expecting these straighteners to cope as well as they did! It just goes to show how much technology has moved on since I bought them 12 years ago. 

What to Give Up for Lent

I was going to write about Shrove Tuesday, as everyone loves a pancake, after all. However, I see a lot of great pancake-based posts each year so, instead, I thought I would tackle another conundrum that affects a lot of people around this time of year; what to give up for Lent. People take on this yearly challenge for different reasons. For some it's specifically a religious undertaking, to recognise and focus on the true meaning of Easter. For others it's a time to reflect on overindulgence versus the needs of others. Some simply view it as a great opportunity to detox something negative from their lives. Whatever the reason for the undertaking, the question of what to give up is an important one.

My Sunday Photo: A Little Flower Mystery

The Best of World Book Day

Republished from last year, a few ideas for World Book Day next week! 
We didn't do World Book Day this year. Normally I'm thrilled to side step the possibility of having to create another costume. It's not just sourcing the materials and building the thing, it's having the idea that I find a bit of a strain. However, I do love World Book Day, because I think it is so important to encourage children to read. I think there may have been a riot if we had been asked to provide a costume though, as that would be the third one this term, so I can understand why it wasn't a good idea. It doesn't make for a very interesting blog post, though, so, with the help of some of my friends, who didn't get a parenting day off, I bring you... The Best of World Book Day! Hurrah!! 

Our Weekend Wanderings, Week Seven!

It's been half term, which has turned out to be a much needed rest from the school and work routine. The February half term is a strange one. It always seems to come around really quickly after the Christmas holiday, but I always feel like we really need the break. I think it's because Christmas is so manic, but the break isn't all that long, so we get thrown back into work and school without really recovering from all the festivities and effort involved. It is also usually the worst holiday for bad weather and, sure enough, it was damp and grey here until Friday. Then the temperature suddenly improved, so this week's Weekend Wanderings features our first sunny day out of the year! Hurrah for Spring! 

Globenfeld Super Sport Watch Review

This week we received a rather lovely watch to review, from the Kitchen and Home Outlet, who sent us the Facial Spa a couple of weeks ago. We loved the quality of the Facial Spa, so were really interested to see if the watch would reflect the same standard. Again, it arrived very quickly and was packaged well. I think you can tell a lot about a product by the standard of the packaging and I was very impressed with the gift box containing the Super Sport Watch. It was sturdy and well made and suited the style of the watch, making it ideal as a gift purchase. The face is quite large, so it would most suit an adult, or older teenager.

Win a 5 in 1 Excavation Discovery Set!

My Sunday Photo: Lock, Stock and Barrel!

When is Racism not Racism? My Thoughts on Burberry's BAFTA Blunder

I have been wondering about writing this post for a while now. I may be in the minority, but the whole point of having a blog really, is that you can speak your mind and be yourself, so I really think I need to say this. It began with a tweet from Burberry during the BAFTAs. The idea was to draw attention to the celebrities that were wearing their clothing. However, in all the excitement, Burberry made what turned out to be a fatal error. They confused a British-Indian actor with another, of Pakistani descent. People got very cross and were outraged at this terrible crime and rightly so, if I was either of the gentlemen involved, I would have been understandably peeved that my unique attributes had failed to imprint upon Burberry's tweeter. But was it racist? I don't think so, and here's why.

Our Weekend Wanderings, Week Six!

Welcome to week six of my weekly weekend updates. I think I'm getting better at this, it's just gone 1am, so it's still technically Tuesday in my opinion. I'll be getting these out on a Monday by the end of the year, no problem. I need to, because I have the worst memory, so it's either that or start taking notes, like a journal for my journal. Which sounds time-consuming. Photos help. I actually think that's one of the advantages the digital age has brought us, pictorial reminders of the little things you'd otherwise forget. Things that might not matter, but suddenly do, like when did I buy those shoes that just fell apart, or when did we last get our haircut. Anyway, I digress... 

Win a £10 Amazon Voucher Ends 28/02

Win a £10 Amazon voucher in our latest competition. Spend it on whatever you like! Please be advised that the email address you use on the rafflecopter will be the one I send the prize to if you win, unless you tell me otherwise, so do make sure it's up to date. Entry is very simple and you can enter using as many, or as few of the options as you like, there are no mandatory entries. I have had more than one competition winner who just entered through the free entry, so it shows it can be done! Good luck!

Free Valentines Verses to Use as You Wish

For Valentine's Day this year, I thought I would have a little fun, and maybe help out a few potential suitors at the same time. Suitors? Really?! Is that the best you can come up with, online thesaurus? Oh well, I suppose it's better than 'swain' or 'beau'. Anyway, I've been busy writing some valentine's verses, which can be written in cards, or even put in a text, if you're not that romantic. You are welcome to take them away and make them your own, and no one need ever know you didn't write them. I have to warn you though, most of them are pretty silly, because I am not so good at the romantic stuff!

My Sunday Photo: Spring Begins

Our Weekend Wanderings, Week Five!

It's hard to believe it's week five already. It's been nice writing these posts, I feel I'm getting to appreciate the good bits of life a bit more, before they fly by. This was actually quite a busy one and I even remembered to take photos. It was a weekend of firsts, as I did something I've never done before. Wait for it... I went to a Frankie and Benny's! I know, I know, how did I manage to exist on the planet for all these years without ever crossing the threshold of an F&Bs, but there you go, it's been a sheltered life. In another first, I also had my first 'proper' cocktail, but before that, there was cake and fabulous shoes, just in time for our night out. This is our weekend and what we loved about it. 

Win an Adorable Child's Chef's Apron Set

Easy Cake to Decorate: Pigs in Mud

I forgot to do a My Sunday Photo this week, so instead, I thought I would show you this easy cake I decorated. I am not the best at decorating fiddly cakes, but I'm not bad at making little models out of icing. I had promised I would make a cake for a friend's birthday, so this 'Pigs in Mud' cake seemed like the ideal choice. It's just a chocolate iced cake with various pig parts, made from icing. I managed to find pink modelling icing in Asda, which made it even easier. I made 3 heads, 3 bottoms, a tummy and 4 legs, and arranged them so that it looked like one was lying on its back, two were wallowing on their fronts and another was diving with just its bottom in the air, as you do. I think it would have looked better if the cake top had been a little flatter, but overall, I was pretty happy with it! 

Sensio Spa Complete Hydrotherapy Facial Steamer Review

As a long time fan of home spa treatments, I have, along with my daughter, sampled quite a few, from the home-made budget treatments, to the more luxurious versions that cost a bit more. It's always interesting to see what the results are like and whether they offer value for money. Facial spas are something I've tried before, but only the cheaper, older-style ones, where your face fits in a sort of mask. When I was offered the Sensio Spa Complete Hydrotherapy Facial Steamer to review, I could see things had changed a bit since then. It promised a complete spa experience, and I was keen to see if it would deliver.

Gardening Tips for Spring.

It's hard to believe, but winter is on its way out and it's time to start thinking about those necessary spring gardening jobs that encourage new growth and bring us hope of brighter days and warmer evenings. Everything is looking pretty abandoned and unloved at the moment, and I can't wait to tidy up a bit and liberate the lawn from under the piles of leaves. I don't know where they all come from. Night-time leaf ninjas, presumably. The weather is pretty grim here at the moment, wet and really cold, so this post might be a bit previous. However, knowing how fickle the British weather can be, it doesn't hurt to be prepared! Your Spring gardening tips are brought to you by my stepmum, landscape gardener extraodinaire. Her previous post was Autumn Gardening Tips.