Family Holiday in Sri Lanka - 5 Top Places to Visit

Photo by Rajiv Perera on Unsplash

When I was a child and I'd dream, my Mum would always tell me 'there is a whole world out there to explore Michelle' and now I realise how right she is. As a teen and then in my twenties I kept my travels safe and pretty domestic, mainly travelling within Europe but then the beginning of this decade saw me taking some life-changing trips to Ethiopia, the USA and Belarus, and now my eyes are open and I want to see more and more places.

I often spend quiet afternoons at home researching new destinations and dreaming of where we will visit in the future. Of course there are now three tweens/ teens to be factored in to our travel plans but that's OK, I find them really great companions to go on adventures with.

One of the destinations I have been musing just recently is Sri Lanka, which is around a ten hour plane journey from the UK. The island is small enough that you can fully cover it in a two week holiday and it has fantastic diversity, from heritage sites that speak of the country's Buddhist roots, to national parks with amazing animals and lush green tea plantations.

Twelve Top Tips for Buying a Used Car

Image: Thanks to Sandown Motors

I think we've got to the point where we will definitely need to get a new family car. We have a seven seater Toyota and it has served us well but frankly our family has out-grown it and now we need something with more leg and boot room I'm not quite sure if we will go for another seven seater or just a much more spacious five seater. Whatever it is, I will ensure it has enough space that I don't have to constantly listen to my three children squabbling as they feel too camped together. Honestly, who'd have kids, I ask you?

As I've been looking for a new used car, I thought I could share some of my wisdom with you and here's twelve top tips for buying a second-hand car -

1.   Why buy new when you can nearly always pick a year old car up for around 25% less than list price (in fact the AA state it can be up to 40%)? And lets face it, it probably won't have done much more than about 10,000 miles in that first year. Of course luxury brands like Mercedes-Benz hold their value better as the cars are such high quality and specification but you only have to take a look on the Sandown Group Used Car site to see there are some bargains to be had.

2.   Buy from a reputable dealership, you might be able to find a car cheaper from Bobs garage down the road or via Auto Trader but how will you know that the car really is what it says it is? By buying from a good dealership you have the peace of mind to know you can head back there if anything is looking amiss.

Anyone Can Make a Beautiful Birthday Card

I love making personalised greetings cards for people but for a long time I held back as I believed it was only a pursuit done by super talented crafters. Sadly, that's not me - I have writing like a 10 year old and quite a limited imagination so I thought I had to hold back for fear of my cards looking like a toddler had made them.

However, I've found a formula that works for me and every person I give one of my home-made cards to always comments about how nice they are. I think people feel a little special is you take the time to make something you know they would like.

I wanted to share with you my card-making formula that can easily be copied by anyone and you always end up with a great looking card. Even my 9 year old's can make good looking cards for their friends.

1. First up, gather together the items you need.
I recommend a trip to The Works (or shop online) as they have a wonderful ever-changing supply of card making materials for really great prices.

You'll need -
Blank cards and envelopes
Patterned paper
Plain coloured card or paper
Double sided tape
Scissors
Washi tape
Card toppers
Stick on Gems



2.  Choose your patterned paper that will act as a base on your blank card and stick it on with double-sided tape. I find this far less messy than glue and you don't have to wait for it to dry.

3.  Add some Washi Tape. In this design I have put two stripes down the side of the patterned paper and this is good as it covers any uneven edges, on other cards, I might just use one vertical or horizontal stripe or do it across a couple of corners. See some of the designs below.

4.  I used a stick on Happy Birthday Greeting that I had bought in a pack at £1.20 for 30 of them, so they work out at hardly any money each.

5.  Choose your card topper. You can see from the picture below that I tried out the different bird toppers in different places before I choose which one to stick down and how the finished card should look. To keep costs low I normally just try to use one topper per card but I think the one with two does look lovely.



I often use stick-on gems to glitz up the card too, as you can see in a couple of the examples below. These normally cost about 99p for over 100, so they are super cheap. All the card blanks and toppers in these cards I bought from The Works and I hope you'll agree they look effective.

I mentioned earlier that even my little girls an make nice cards for their friends using my easy card making formula and here are a couple of cards Miss E has made recently ready for upcoming birthdays.

If you have any tips of easy card-making then do leave me a comment. Many thanks, Mich x

6 Little Known Gems to Visit in Edinburgh

I've only been to Edinburgh a couple of times so far but I have absolutely loved it and the stays have been far too short, so it would be great to get there again. Especially as my friend Kate lives there and I've not seen her for some time. As we chatted the other day I asked her to give me some recommendations of places to visit when I next go there and here are her six little-known gems in Edinburgh. Four free to visit attractions and two delicious eateries. Of course you'll want to easily get around the city once you are there so why not check out Capital cars for all your taxing needs, including airport transfers.

City Art Centre
This former Scotsman news building now houses six floors of art in large, light and airy gallery spaces. There is a huge variety of art from the 17th century to the modern day. Entrance is free to the main gallery and there are loads of exhibitions changing throughout the year, for which there is an entrance cost. The centre is currently closed on Monday and Tuesdays.

The extra fun part is that they have an ArtSpace which is open all the same times as the centre and you can have fun using their inspiring art materials to create some modern art, a landscape or perhaps a portrait. Or join them between 2 and 3pm on a Saturday when there is facilitator leading the session. I'd love to get stuck in.

2 Market Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1DE, Tel: 0131 529 3993

Image Credit: Edinburgh Museums

Dovecot Studios
This amazing Tapestry studio is housed in the former home of a Victorian swimming pool, the renovated building itself is stunning but actually the tapestry's on show in the gallery and the weavers themselves are the real treasure. For more than 100 years stunning pieces of tapestry have been created here. Make sure you get to see some of the weavers at work from the Tapestry Studio Viewing Balcony from Noon to 3pm on Thursday and Friday and from 10.30am to 5.30pm on Saturdays.

10 Infirmary Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1LT, Tel: 0131 550 3660

Image Credit: Dovecot Studio

National Museum of Scotland’s Rooftop Terrace
The National Museum of Scotland is of course the most visited attraction in the city so you may wonder why I have listed it here. Well, the hidden part is the rooftop terrace. Everyone knows that the museum itself is worth a visit but very few make it though the museum maze to the beautiful rooftop terrace which sports some stunning Scottish fauna but more than that there are views all across the city. Head up there early in the day to beat any crowds.

Chambers Street, Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF, Tel: 0300 123 6789

Image Credit: Wow 247

The Royal Observatory
It is totally worth heading off the average tourist track to go and pay a visit to the Royal Observatory Visitor Centre but only if you have booked a visit. During the winter months there are weekly Friday open nights and monthly in the summer. You'll get to see through one of the biggest telescopes in Scotland, learn a bit more about the night sky and be able to handle meteorites, The site itself is also stunning.

Blackford Hill View, Edinburgh EH9 3HJ. Tel: 0131 668 8100

Image Credit: Royal Observatory Edinburgh

The Gardeners Cottage
Someone who loves food as much as me couldn't possibly not suggest a couple of amazing restaurants. A favourite with my friend Kate is The Gardeners Cottage, which is in Royal Terrace Gardens at the foot of Calton Hill in the heart of Edinburgh's World Heritage Site. The beautiful restaurant is informal with all diners sitting at trestles tables but the factor that tells it apart from its competitors is the stunning local produce, as well as the home-grown veggies, leaves and legumes. The food really is of the best quality and an absolute joy to eat.

1 Royal Terrace Gardens, London Road, Edinburgh, EH7 5DX. Tel: 0131 558 1221

Image Credit: Gardeners Cottage

Mademoiselle Macaron
You'll be transported to Paris in the blink of an eyelid in this beautiful cafe. The owner trained in Paris after being mesmerised by her first taste of the classic French Macaron. You can choose from classic flavours like raspberry and pistachio or go for the more exotic like Scottish Whammy made with Irn Bu. You can't get much more of a french- Scottish fusion than that!

22 Grindlay St, Edinburgh EH3 9AP. Tel: 0131 228 4059

Image Credit: The Herald

I wish you an amazing time visiting this historic and amazing city. Do let me know in the comments if you have any secret gems that would like to add to this list.

Be blessed, Mich x

7 Great Venues to Host your Work Team Building Day in the South East

Team building days at work - you either love them or you hate them!

Done well, I think they are pretty amazing and definitely a way to help you get to know your fellow workers and start to understand what makes them tick. Prior to leaving the University when we moved here I organised a team-building day for our busy HR and development department and it was a tad daunting as so many people were specialists in developing others but luckily all went well and it was probably one of my greatest achievements in my ten year career there.

Our Director had said we had to have at least half a day spent doing work based activities and then half day of pure fun. So the morning was spent doing various team tasks and working with some fabulous facilitators to help us all think through the customer experience. Who was our customer and what did they expect and how could we impact the wider aims of the University?

For lunch we went to the student refectory and ate with the students as I wanted everyone to be able to experience the service our ultimate customers receive. Luckily I was able to choose this option as the eating facilities we excellent and this meant we could all have a really enjoyable meal from the very wide variety serviced.

8 Top Tips When Recycling

Recycling Image: Shutterstock

I'm so glad that my children are growing up in an age when they don't know any different than recycling everything they can, nowadays it is about 70% of what we no longer want that can be recycled or reused. How different life was when I was small and it all just went into tons of black sacks and then the bin-men came and collected it from your back garden and left you more sacks too! We have to be a bit more proactive nowadays sorting and taking the recycling out but the long term benefits to our small island and ultimately the whole world will be worth it.

In case recycling doesn't float your boat and you are not bought into it as yet, let me share with you some tips to make it easier and more manageable -

1. Get all the family involved. For a while I bored myself silly telling the kids to wash their yogurt cartons or squash the tin cans but now it is just second nature for them to do it and put it in the recycling rather than leaving it on the side for me. It is also the children's job to take the recycling to our designated point and to sort it into the right areas; it is a nice easy way for them to earn some tech time.

2.  Educate yourself. You'd think that recycling across the UK would be pretty universal wouldn't you? But sadly not, there doesn't appear to be any joined up thinking, So some councils will take tetra packs, others plastic carrier bags, some cooked food waste. So as soon as you move to a new area check out the councils website and ensure you know what to do and when to do it and if they don't have kerbside collections for all the things you want, don't throw in the towel, see if there is a collection point you pass on the way to work/ school etc and could easily fit that drop off into your life.

Finding a Bargain at New Look with Voucher Codes

There are bargains everywhere at this time of year. We've just had Black Friday and Cyber Monday and with there only being another week or so until Christmas all the major stores are starting to get worried about their sales and are slashing prices further. Of course you'll want to get the very best deal available to you so it is still very much worth checking the voucher codes sites and if you have young ladies in the family like me then they are probably hassling you for a new Christmas outfit from a store like New Look.

This really is their favourite store at the moment so I am constantly on the look out for New Look voucher codes and I've found some good ones at https://www.myfavouritevouchercodes.co.uk/new-look-voucher-codes. As I like to get a bargain I am using my discount codes along with items already in the sale and I let my girls have a look online and see what they fancied as a Christmas. Below are what they choose, I find it so funny how different each of them is.

Miss E is much more into casual clothes than her twin and her picks nearly always include denim dungarees of some type and even shorts are fine when you team them with a pair of chunky knit tights. Miss E says she fancies a pair of sparkly silver ones to go with this outfit and make it special for Christmas.

Black bomber jacket £9, Black suede brogues £9, Denim shorts £12 and Stripey top £6.

Total outfit cost = £36.00

Miss M thinks she is at least five years older than her twin and I think you can see that by her sophisticated choices -

Black trousers £7, Khaki sleeveless jacket £12, Black sling-back shoes £6 and Khaki star top £4. Total outfit cost = £29.00

Absolute bargains, don't you agree? and definitely worth finding a New Look voucher code to secure these for an even better price if you can.

My Favourite Voucher Codes
I've been using the My Favourite Voucher Codes site for a few months now and found some great discounts. There is so much on there and the New Look promo codes have been so useful. They also have a great Trust Pilot score, which is always something I check to see how reputable a website is. There are nearly 10,200 live codes as of today and I like the fact that I can see the site is being checked and updated daily so I don't end up excited about a deal that I can't actually access anymore.

Some of my favourite stores have great voucher/ promo codes available on there - like Debenhams, Marks and Spencer, Halfords and Pizza Hut (buy one, get one free don't you know?).

It is good if you have a bit of time on your hands to choose one of the categories that you fancy and having a flick through the voucher codes and seeing what suits your family. There is something for everyone from clothes to food, to hotels, to wine and furniture.

Donating 20% of Profits to Charity
The other great thing is that My Favourite Voucher Codes donate 20% of the profit they make to a chosen charity for the month and us as their customers can vote on who should get the money. This month they are donating £347.19 to the Stroke Association and since 2012 they have raised £50,561.83 for the chosen charities - how fabulous if that? If you want to vote for this months chosen charity then scroll down the home page and click vote in the bottom right hand corner

You can Follow My Favourite Voucher Codes on Twitter and Facebook.

Making money go further: Tips from your mum

Many have heeded their Mum’s advice to be more frugal. Implementing the penny jar for loose change and cutting down to one takeaway coffee per week can make a big difference, but most mums are savvy enough to know many more tips to help make your money go further. These days there are a whole host of things you can try to get the most out of every pound that comes your way. That said, some of the tried and true money savers that worked for your Mum and her generation are still good to today, even in our fast-paced, technology-heavy world. The speed and mediums of information exchange may have changed, but the fundamental principles of good money management haven’t. Earn It, Save It, Invest It – this is the mantra of many mums, some of whom remain the most successful financial wizards in the world. For more information on how to get most out of your money you can also try the websites of wealth creation education organisations like Learn to Trade.

Here are a number of other tips that will help you spend less and invest more -

Cook at Home

That’s right, one of your mum’s top money saving tips is to spend less on eating out. Cook at home and invite friends to your place rather than going out. If everyone brings a course or a side dish, it can cost you very little to host – you may only have to make the main course. Try sticking to easy-to-freeze meals like pies and pastas with homemade sauces so you can reuse any leftovers easily, plus you can freeze it and thaw later in the week to use as a base for a soup or a great sauce for pizza. Vary your condiments and herbs and you can have a few lovely nights in for very little outlay. Work out how often you eat out, what you spend, and how much this might save you per month. Now think about that money doing something besides sitting in a savings account. Can it pay down some debt? Can it be added to an investment fund you’ve got going? How hard can you make your money work? The harder it works, the more return

Avoid Debt Like The Plague

You’re already ahead if you’re not carrying any personal debt, such as credit card debt, personal loans or store cards. Should you have any accumulated personal debt, cut your expenses to the bare minimum and make it a priority to clear that as quickly as you can. If you’re storing stuff you don’t need or want, see what you can sell it for on second hand sites like eBay or Gumtree. Look for savings on phone data plans and insurance – anywhere and everywhere you can find a spare pound makes a difference. You might even consider selling your car and taking public transport for a while. Put everything you can spare towards that debt until it’s gone. Move forward with a clear household budget that will help you steer clear of the debt treadmill in future.

Invest

Once you’ve paid off your debt, see if you can keep tithing a similar amount of money into an investment account. This is when all your careful money management really starts to be fun, as you can drive your money to work as hard as it can for you. Set some investment goals and track your progress. You’ll find taking a proactive interest in your money pays dividends.

In the end, most mums know that investing is all about making the money do the work. The more you save, the more money you have to invest. And you can take it a little easier if you’ve got your money doing a lot of the hard work.

But what about you, do you have a top tip for making your money go further? Don’t keep it a secret – share it in the Comments box below.

The kitchen is the heart of your home

For the first time ever I now have a kitchen which is big enough to have a table in it. Do you know how excited I am by this fact? I find it makes such a difference to be able to have the children eat a snack after school and chat to me whilst I tidy up, or they can do their homework. It is also wonderful for family baking sessions as it is a better height level for them.

Whilst my kitchen now is one step further towards the dream kitchen, I still have a long way to go.  The long-term aim is to have a kitchen which is large enough to have a central island and also for it to be open plan onto a family area so everyone can be in one large space but doing separate things. Whilst it might be practical to have closed off rooms, it is so much more friendly to have open-plan living and I really do believe that the kitchen is at the heart of the home.

So what do you think of that kitchen above?  I think this is pretty close to my ideal kitchen - some wood for warmth, use of the beautiful duck egg blue paint, built-in discreet appliances and of course stunning silestone worktops.

Have you heard of silestone worktop? You might not of, I found it was only when I started to look at new kitchens that I learnt just how versatile it is. I'll share with you my top 5 reasons why I believe you should consider silestone for your kitchen work surfaces -

1. Tough - Silestone is an engineered stone, it is made with 94% natural quartz stone particles that are bonded together with resin, this creates a unique stone which is super resilient. It will withstand scratches, knocks, things being dropped on it, stains, scolds and mould too. What more could you ask for with a growing family?
2. Hygienic - When Silestone is made it has silver ions infused into it and this gives it a unique bacteriologic properties, so that when the ions impact with bacteria they inhibit its ability to multiply. Tests find that after several hours there will be fewer bacteria on a piece of silestone, than on a natural piece of marble. I love the piece of mind this gives me as a busy mum.
3. Design variety - As silestone is an engineered product there are so many different colours and patterns to choose from, over sixty in fact. You can have the classic smooth white, right through to bright red and of course there is always room for a sparkly silver flecked black one too (my personal favourite). There is something to suit every design.
4. Consistent - As well as there being a fantastic colour choice, you can also choose the texture to suit your design and family. Silestone comes in high gloss, suede for the softest feeling stone and volcano for something a little more rugged looking. It is brilliant that Silestone is uniform and you can have an ascetically pleasing kitchen without any of the normal blemishes that natural stone can suffer with.
5. Slick - Silestone will give you a really sleek look in your family kitchen. Again as it is engineered it means it can be manipulated more easily and this means that curves and unusual bends in your kitchen should be no problem. It is quite common to see a stylish integrated silestone sink for this inclusive streamlined look.

I bet you are sold now aren't you?  Do make sure you check our silestone when you are planning your kitchen refit.

Organix No Junk Campaign

Have you heard about the Organix No Junk Campaign yet?

As the name suggests, it’s all about healthy food – and healthy children, two things I'm sure we would agree are very important? I have to be honest and say that whilst we have a very varied diet I've not always been the best example to my children of how to avoid convenience foods and to make sure your diet stays junk free. This is one of the reasons I started with Slimming World this week to try and adjust my eating habits and to make a difference for life, not just go on a diet!

The No Junk Campaign starts on 28th April but the pledge to join in is live from today at - www.organix.com/nojunk

Next week will be all about finding out what’s in our food and tucking into simple meals made with real ingredients. I think this very short video gives us a real revelation of how things have changed over the last fifty years and how we now all eat things that we have no idea what they are. I think we consumers have become more aware of flavourings, colourings and sweeteners in the last decade or so but there are still all the preservatives and enhancers put into food that we cannot trace back to a good food source.



On the Organix website there will be loads of contests, prizes, and ways to share your kitchen adventures.
What it’s really about, though, is starting a food revolution. Organix is calling for the government and the food industry to do their part. That means tough controls on salt, fat, sugar and artificial additives in what our little ones eat and it does not just have to be toddler little ones. It is all children, my kids are now 6, 6 and 10 and they still require good food and not a meal full of artificial rubbish.

I’m right behind the campaign and will be blogging more about it next week – that’s why I’ve already signed the online pledge: www.organix.com/nojunk  Why don't you sign up too?

“I pledge to eat and feed my family only real ingredients 

I can recognise or spell.”

Disclosure: This is a commissioned post and I will actually be joining in with this and being very aware of what I feed myself and my family in the coming weeks.

Prepaid Mastercard - would you use one?

Image Credit

I'm lucky that in the nineteen years I've been with my husband he has taught me all about budgeting and being frugal with my money. This now means that we are in a sound position financially and we have a credit card which we use to our advantage, paying it off each month.

I know there are a lot of people who would like the convenience of being able to use a credit card but actually their previous credit history and therefore credit rating is too poor to be able to gain one and even if they can then they worry for fear of spending too much.

Kalixa Pay Prepaid Mastercard - what does it cost?
This is where I believe a pre-paid credit card, such as the Kalixa Pay Prepaid Mastercard comes in really useful. Of course you must check the small print and see what you are singing yourself up to as some companies can make quite a number of charges but the Kalixa pay is upfront about the charges they make. You pay £6.95 initially to register your card and then if you withdraw cash at an ATM in the UK there is charge of £1.75 or £2.25 internally, this is not surprising though as I would have to pay cash withdrawal fees on my credit card too if I used it in that manner.

Great for budgeting and limiting your spending
There is no monthly fee to pay for using the Kalixa pay but you may have to pay a small charge to add credit to your card but this depends how you add that credit, if it is by internet banking or a standing order then it costs you nothing. Little features like this mean that if you are someone who overspends and just can't seem to help yourself the Kalixa Pay Prepaid Mastercard is perfect as there is no overdraft facility and you have to have money available on the card to be able to spend it.

Again if overspending is your weakness and you need a little help to stay on top of things the Kalixa is fabulous in that it will send you an email or SMS message totally free of charge to remind you of each transaction that you make above £5.00. You can also use the online portal (eWallet) if you wish to stay informed.

Using it abroad
I've already mentioned about the charge to use an international ATM but you can take your card abroad with you and use it to pay in whatever currency you need to without paying any foreign exchange fees, transaction charges or commission and you can rest assured that the Kalixa pay offers the most competitive foreign exchange rates on the market.

Other considerations
It is worth noting that as the card is not connected to your bank if you do unfortunate lose it or is is stolen the amount the thief can access is limited to what is live on the card.

Also you probably just need to be aware that a prepaid credit card is different to regular credit cards in that it is not covered under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974. This protects credit card purchases between £100 and £30,000 against a retailer going bust, or your goods arriving faulty or damaged.

if you would like to get your own Kalixa Pay prepaid Mastercard then you just need to apply online and they will send the card out to you.

So might a prepaid credit card suit you?  They are certainly more useful than I firstly thought!

Lewis come and do my school run and be really challenged!

Until July this year our school run consisted of myself and the three kids taking a five minute walk down the road and we were there, it really was idyllic and we never had to get in a car, well not unless I was late for work!

Since moving, the school run is pretty different.  We now live five miles from the kids school and even if we wanted to walk it would be too dangerous, a big main A road and then country lanes without any paths are our route. Also in the interests of being frugal and green we car share with our neighbour now. So my school run includes six super chatty kids in the car, all aged between 5 - 10 years old.

We do have a lot of fun but it can test your skills of concentration as a driver. The questions and chatter is pretty relentless - 'Mum, put on Olly Murs', 'Mum, can we have a snack when we get home?', 'Mum, can F come and play?' and on and on. Then in the background I can hear them playing the yes/ no game or singing along to the latest track. The noise level is high. I have to be honest and say that I have not really consciously thought about how demanding or stressful the school run can be, it is just something you do each day and I'm incredibly grateful to my friend P for doing one of the runs, so I only have to do it once a day.

Take a peek at this fun short clip and see how Lewis Hamilton copes with a school run -



Allianz Insurance asked the racing driver Lewis Hamilton to undertake a school run to see how stressful he found it as someone who is used to coping with driving in extreme conditions. He said 'I can certainly understand how parents could find the school run stressful and a real challenge when it comes to driving safely. Jess and Lauren were great fun but they were very chatty - so I had to make sure I remained focused on driving throughout the journey'.

The little girls made me smile and it was obvious they were super excited to be in the car with someone so famous but I'd like to set Lewis a real challenge and say come and do my school run and have six noisy kids in the car and then you can really test your powers of concentration!

As parents I think we all realise how important it is to keep our children safe and to be aware whilst we are on the roads, but it is great to have a reminder every once in a while as it is far too easy to become complacent.

Time for Tesco Clubcard Boost

I absolutely love seeing my Tesco Clubcard points clocking up. Call me sad but it makes such a difference to be able to exchange those points for deals and to do things as a family that we might not be able to afford otherwise. And because we have a Tesco credit card it means that we earn a lot of points in this house no matter where we shop - it is win:win.

Now with Christmas fast approaching, I am all about getting prepared and sorting the presents out nice and early, so I was pleased to hear that the Clubcard Boost is back again. This is where each £5 of clubcard tokens can be boosted into a £10 voucher to spend and I can do this both in-store and online.  Not every department is included in this special event so you need to check, but so many are that it makes it really worthwhile.

Here are my top 5 of gifts that I am looking to buy this Christmas (and don't you just know they are all included in the Boost promotion -

1)  Both dh and myself have brothers who are not easy to buy for so I think this year I will help them to look after themselves. A 30ml bottle of Calvin Klein Eternity at £22 a bottle will do the job perfectly! (That is only £11 of clubcard tokens that I need to boost to get 1 bottle, bargain).








2)  next up is something to help JJ get up in the mornings. I did not realise kids turn into snoozing teenagers at age 10 but he finds it so difficult to awake. So hopefully this LEGO Ninjago Kai clock will help him. This is something really unique that I've not seen before and the red will compliment his room wonderfully. It is £25 and worth it I think.




3)  OK this next one is not the most glamorous gift but sometimes you have to be practical. Dh's grandma suffers with arthritis and I think this Kenwood electric can opener will really help her as it takes the hard and fiddly work out of it. At just £14 it is a good investment for her.





4)  My Mum is really stylish and I know that this lace top would look beautiful on her slim figure and at just £12 you can't get better than that. As it is cream coloured it will go with everything and you can have a cardie or shawl in the colder months to help you stay warm.






5)  Last up we have dh's parents who always like a nice tipple at Christmas so it would be sensible to invest in a case of wine for them. I quite fancy the Tesco Finish Pinot Grigio at £47.94 per case and don't forget if you boost your clubcard tokens it will only really cost you half that amount.

There you have my top 5 that I am going to be investing in this Christmas.

How will you boost your tokens?

Getting your kids cleaning...

Miss E's favourite kind of cleaning up!

I do think it is really important to get your children helping you with the household chores from an early age. I'm not talking Dickensian style or anything - no 6 year old chimney sweeps but my 6 year old twins do set and clear the table, make their beds, tidy their playroom and much more. Not all in one day but practically every day there is something so they can feel they are contributing to the family.

In fact all my children have been helping me from an early age, Miss M has a particular love of hoovering, although our hoover as a tad big for her and with her arm cast at the moment it is not practical but she can still be involved. JJ is up for cooking and he has done full meals before, roll back to my Grandmothers time and children would have prepared the family dinner at age 10, so why not now?

We use chores as a way for the children to understand that all tasks a family have to undertake are valued and things like cleaning and cooking are not just Mummy's jobs. The house and clothes do not just miraculously clean themselves. I'd like to be able to tell you this means that the children keep things tidy as they know they are making work for us all by being messy but that would be a step too far - they are kids after all. I just have to be glad they help me sort it afterwards.

Some tasks you would assume should be off limits to a child but actually with supervision they can do most things. You need to be careful of what cleaning products you use but water and elbow grease do a great job of many things.

A couple of years back Miss M was going through quite a testing stage and she drew all over her bedroom door, I made her use some Cif and scrub it all off and when she finished about 30 minutes later she did not show any sign of remorse so off we went and she cleaned the toilet bowl too! That one did have an effect and she remembers it to this day and swears she will never want to do that again!

Of course Miss M did not have any bleach or cleaning product in the loo as she cleaned it and something like de-scaler I'd never let any of them touch but all the kids know the warning signs on the bottles and understand the implications of touching cleaning products and why they should leave them alone unless directed by a responsible adult.

I'm sure I've posted before that I actually enjoy cleaning and this does seem to be wearing off on the kids, not so much on JJ but definitely on the girls. Miss E even gets out the broom or duster and asks me if she can clean up, 'why not?' I say enthusiastically, it is one way to earn their pocket money.

How about you, do you get your kids involved in the household chored and cleaning?

Children who brush their teeth once a day ....

...are a third more likely to develop tooth decay.  My heart sank as I read that, I had no idea the statistics are so shocking. I hate to admit it but one of my guilty secrets is that I often forget to get the kids to brush their teeth in the morning. We are really good in the evening, it happens every day no fail but the mornings are a different kettle of fish.  Other parents manage it so why can't I?  I think maybe I just need to go back to basics and write myself a note to put up in the kitchen and then make myself a time slot by doing the packed lunches the night before. I can't take the risk that my kids will all end up with decayed teeth. I remember the shame I felt when JJ had to have a filling as I had not been monitoring his tooth brushing well enough.

My little Miss E has just lost her first tooth (and she is so excited) but of course with big teeth coming this makes it all the more important that all three of my children brush well and try to eat more of the right foods. Take a peek at this info-graphic, it is enlightening....

Five Of The Best Ready To Roll Icing Decoration Ideas

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If you’re a true baking enthusiast then every time you make a cake you’ll want it to be not only delicious but also visually delightful. The first bite is with the eye, so it’s important to make sure that the decorations on your new creation are appealing and well-crafted. Probably the best medium for decorating is ready-to-roll icing. Its uses extend far beyond acting as a tasty layer covering your sponge or fruit cake.

If you fancy adding some wonderful ready-to-roll icing decorations to your cake then here are some ideas to spark your imagination.

1.      Beautiful Bows. A great decorative idea for ready-to-roll icing is crafting ribbons and bows. These can be used for all kinds of cakes, no matter what the occasion. From a simple sash-style ribbon that fits snugly around your cake, to an intricate bow like in this amazing towel cake.

2.      Shiny, Happy People. Because ready-to-roll icing holds its shape well, and comes in an assortment of colours, it’s perfect for making intricate models. Creating simple animals is straightforward enough but why not make tiny people to decorate a cake? You can use the icing to make everything from their clothes to their hair. This street party cake should give you an idea of what can be achieved. But the options are endless. It’s perfectly possible to create eye-catching scenes on top of your cake to tie in with any occasion.

3.      Delicate Little Flower. Small flowers can be a beautiful decoration on a cake and ready-to-roll icing is a great medium to make your designs a reality. From intricate hand-sculpted roses topping off a cupcake to simple flowers like these daisies, it’s easy to create a floral flourish for any cake.

4.      Frightening Fondant. With Halloween just around the corner make sure you use ready-to-roll icing to decorate your Halloween-themed cakes and biscuits. Thanks to a wide colour palette you can easily make jack o’lanterns and pumpkins to top a cake, or create some eerie ghosts and monster designs on top of biscuits and cookies.

5.      Frills and Lace. If you’re baking a wedding cake then ready-to-roll icing is ideal for creating a beautiful lace applique to bring the cake to life. Simply press some icing into a pre-made applique mould and you’ll have a wonderful addition to your multi-tiered masterpiece.

What are you waiting for? Grab some icing and get crafting, let your imagination take you where it will and make your next cake amazing with some ready-to-roll icing decorations.