Win a Babymel summer changing bag or satchel

15 May, 2013 By 368 Comments

babymel-changing-bag-win

Fun on the outside, organised on the inside!

I really like Babymel bags. They’re as bright and stylish as any standard handbag, but with the added bonus of changing bag functionality. They’re perfect for busy mums, so it’s no surprise that Mothercare have recently snapped up two bags from the Babymel Summer range to stock in store.

The Boathouse Satchel in teal is the perfect size for storing all your essentials, and is equipped with a shoulder strap, a built-in insulated zipped bottle pocket, two large storage compartments, two large internal storage pockets, a wipe clean lining and a changing mat.

Satchel Boathouse Teal

The Printed Burst Fuchsia bag has a funky, bright print and comes equipped with an insulated bottle pocket, five internal elasticated storage pockets and a zipped pocket to keep valuables. It also boasts ‘strollerstraps’ – a patent pending invention which allows the bag to be worn as a shoulder bag or securely attached to a stroller, leaving you hands free. This bag also features wipe clean linings, adjustable shoulder strap and a padded changing mat.

Amanda Printed Burst Fuchsia

To win your choice of either the Printed Burst Fuchsia bag or Boathouse Satchel in teal, just follow the following simple steps…

How to enter

To enter you must:

You are also entitled to up to five bonus entries, if you:

Please leave a separate comment for each entry.

The giveaway will close at 11.59pm UK time on 14th June 2013 and a winner will be selected at random.

See the prize draw T&Cs - Disclosure: Babymel is providing this prize for the purposes of the giveaway. No payment was received by A Mummy Too. Please see my review/disclosure policy for more information. Listed on ThePrizeFinder – UK Competitions and Competition Hunter.

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How to give your home a makeover on a budget (sponsored guest post)

14 May, 2013 By Leave a Comment

home

Try a simple change of pillows and a throw to change its look without breaking your budget

When it comes to sprucing up the home you don’t need to spend big to make a big impact. It’s the little things that count, and with the right changes in the right places it’s easy to dramatically makeover your home on a limited budget.  Allianz Your Cover (www.yourcoverinsurance.co.uk) provides you with some simple, budget-friendly ways to revamp your living space to give you some ideas.

A splash of colour

One of the least expensive things you can do for the biggest impact around the home is to make a bold change of colour. Colour is one of the first things our eyes notice when we enter a room, so whether you change just one statement wall or the whole room’s colour scheme, it’s guaranteed to have a big visual impact. Even better, paint is inexpensive, and you can carry out all of the work yourself with a few basic tools. It’s worth taking time over your colour choice, as different tones can affect a room’s mood as well as its appearance – and your own mood too. You might want to try a handy online tool like Dulux MousePainter to help you visualise your room in a range of colours.

Add a little greenery

Houseplants and fresh cut flowers are cheap and cheerful ways to bring instant energy to a room. An empty corner can be transformed with a tall palm, adding vitality, making a room feel more relaxed, and helping to keep the air clean and fresh too. As a less expensive alternative to buying fresh cut flowers every week, try a flowering plant, like an orchid or hydrangea. These are easy to care for, and add a touch of colour and beauty that can be an attractive focal point.

Revamp rarely used space

Many homes have a room that’s overlooked – whether it’s the dining room that’s seldom used, a guestroom, or that cupboard under the stairs. Make the most of your limited budget and use it to repurpose a room so that you really get the best use of it. A few inexpensive shelves and a desk and your under stairs cupboard can become an office, switch the bed in your guestroom for a sofa bed and you’ll create an area that can be used for work, a playroom for children, or even an exercise space.

Accessorize

Home accessories, like throws, vases, rugs and cushions, may be inexpensive little items, but they have the power to completely transform the look of a room. They allow you to express your own personal style and change colour schemes – so, rather than investing in a whole new sofa, try a simple change of pillows and a throw to change its look without breaking your budget.

Freshen up furniture

New pieces of furniture can be costly, so it can pay to use your imagination and work with what you already have. Repainting, refinishing or a change of upholstery is less expensive, but can have just as much impact as a whole new furniture purchase. A fresh lick of paint can update anything from kitchen chairs to chandeliers, while doors, cabinets and drawers can be instantly modernised with a simple change of handles.

Disclosure: this is a sponsored guest post

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Are puzzle games a career investment?

19 September, 2012 By 2 Comments

The brain is much like a muscle – ‘use it or lose it’ – and in the case of puzzling, the more you do it, the more you create a positive mental domino effect – Behavioural psychologist Donna Dawson

No, I haven’t gone mad. I’ve been reading a survey which states that Brits who regularly play puzzles, crosswords and brain teasers not only earn more but hold down more senior positions at work.

Could this be true? Adult puzzle brand Wasgij reckon so. In fact, if the study they commissioned is to be believed, then the average income of Brits who do puzzles is £32,073 while non-puzzlers take home 7% less with an average salary of £29,923.

So does that mean being a parent could actually make you smarter? Have all those hours spent helping the kids with puzzles actually boosted our earning potential? Could kids be as much a financial boost as a financial drain? Probably not. But it’s a nice thought, eh?

When Jumbo Games sent us a 2-in-1 Thundercats puzzle recently, I held off reviewing it, thinking, “Hmm, how much can I say about a jigsaw other than that JD likes it and the pictures are cool?” – who’d have thought we actually spent the summer furthering our job prospects?

Disclosure: No payment was received for this post. Jumbo Games sent us a jigsaw to review and later sent us this survey. All posts are 100% honest.

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Soreen white choc squares – high energy desk snack recipe

29 August, 2012 By 15 Comments

It’s not chocolate cake but it’s really nice and really chewy – JD, 4

I love Soreen malt loaf. Lovely squishy, chewy, sticky stuff. I eat it toasted, I eat it with jam, I eat it straight out the pack (they even have little individual bars now for just that purpose).

It’s fairly low fat, but something like 65% carbohydrate, which is probably why hikers carry it as source of long-lasting energy.

As I tend to sit at my desk munching through whatever is to hand, I thought I’d try for a healthier option combining two of my greatest loves: Soreen and white chocolate.

JD and I had a lot of fun making these Soreen white choc squares – they’re not unlike toffees…except nicer.

Ingredients

  • Half a loaf of Soreen
  • 100g white chocolate
  • Cocktail sticks
  • Sheet of greaseproof paper

Instructions

  1. Using a good sharp serrated knife, cut the half-loaf of Soreen into 10-12 roughly even chunks (they won’t be perfect cubes – it’s squishes when you cut it!)
  2. Stick a cocktail stick in each chunk
  3. Melt the white chocolate in a bowl
  4. Dip each chunk in the chocolate, twist until covered and then place on the greaseproof paper to set
  5. When set, pull out the cocktail sticks and eat

Simple, fun and has lasted me all week. Will you try it?

Disclosure: Soreen sent me some bars and loaves to try, but I’ve bought many more before and since. No payment was received for this post. All posts are 100% honest.

The Crazy Kitchen Photobucket
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London. Morning.

16 May, 2012 By 22 Comments

… – Me

It’s a beautiful city. Breathtaking in places. I miss it terribly.

Mum of One
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Hey SJP, being a working parent sucks sometimes, huh?

16 April, 2012 By 16 Comments

I know! Let’s put work in the bin – JD, 4

Friday evening. In the morning I’d be in London at a conference.

I put the kids to bed, tidied the house with Mark, caught up on emails, booked a taxi for 5am, packed my bag, found my Oyster card, lost my Oyster card, found my Oyster card, did Little Miss J’s midnight feed and flopped into bed, reluctantly setting my alarm for 4am.

I slept badly, as I always do when I have that got-to-be-up-soon feeling, crawled out of bed at 4am, chomped down some cornflakes, showered, sterilised the express pump, freshly boiled the kettle, answered some emails, dressed, brushed, made up, hugged Mark, kissed a sleeping JD goodbye, and stood at the foot of Little Miss J’s cot, wondering if she’d wake up in time for a last feed.

With minutes to spare until the taxi arrived, she woke up. No time to breastfeed, Mark made up a bottle. As I stood by door I could see her refusing the formula, turning her head, looking for me. What if she refused her feeds all day?

As I went downstairs and saw the taxi pull up, I could feel my boobs tingling – like a maternal spider-sense.

I went outside, paid the taxi, came back inside and got undressed. I texted the event organiser, lifted Little Miss J into bed with us and cuddled her in, feeding her until JD woke up.

If I’d gone to London, I’d have been away from the kids for 15 hours. I’d have had to “pump & dump” and Little Miss J would have had her first full day on formula only. I just couldn’t do it, despite that fact that in reality, both kids would have been absolutely fine – Mark’s a fantastic dad.

All morning as I watched the conference hashtag fly around, I thought about how lucky I am. At this moment, I’m on self-imposed maternity leave. Save for the odd project, I’m not working. I don’t *have* to work – we are very lucky that we can afford for me to take a break for a little while longer.

I watched I Don’t Know How She Does It starring Sarah Jessica Parker recently and found it entertaining but dire. It glamourises work and undersells parenting in cliches of equal measure. It panders to the glossy contradiction that women are simultaneously shallow and better than men. It fails to communicate parenting beyond milestone moments. And it underestimates just how painful leaving to go to work can be.

In the film, SJP leaves her kids in daylight, standing at the door, saying goodbye. In reality, a busy jet-set job often means leaving before they even wake up. It means you have to kiss them goodbye knowing that they’re unaware. Climb into a taxi in the dark, hair brushed and styled, make up on, when your heart says you should be the other side of the cliche, curled up with your kids, make-up-less, covered in baby sick and spilled cornflakes.

I love working, I will continue to work – I don’t just want to, I need to. I don’t just need to, I want to.

I’m not saying that being a stay-at-home parent is all morning cuddles and walks in the park, it really isn’t, but being a working parent is frankly awful sometimes and after Saturday, where I had the luxury of being able to choose to stay home, I’m savouring this time more than ever before.

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Dressing to impress at 8.5 months pregnant

5 October, 2011 By 14 Comments

It’s all but impossible to feel attractive while heavily pregnant – me

Recently at work we’ve launched a new client training package that involves full-day workshops. Leading these would be tiring at the best of times, but at 37 weeks pregnant? No mean feat when looking and feeling the part is important.

Luckily for me, the lovely Vanessa Knox got in touch and offered to send me a dress for just such an occasion: the Hallie V Neck Maternity Dress.

It’s all but impossible to feel attractive while heavily pregnant, but this dress does a good job of flattering the curves that should be there and playing down the lumps and bumps that shouldn’t.

With the clever addition of a built in cardigan / shawl, it made me feel elegant and well-presented, while the fabric kept me cool enough to get through seven hours in front of projector lights. Top marks!

Disclosure: The dress was provided to me free-of-charge for review. No payment was received and this post is 100% honest. Please see my review/disclosure policy for more information.

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