Family • Wellbeing • Adventure

Friday 31 May 2013

Banham Zoo - May 2013


Today me and Darcie spent the day with these three monkeys, and my buddy old pal, Chloe at Banham zoo!

Perfect day with perfect weather and perfect people! 

Mummy B xoxox
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Thursday 30 May 2013

The Body Shop, Baked-To-Last Bronzer - Review





I recently purchased this beautiful bronzer from The Body Shop and have been using it for just over two weeks now and thought I would share my thoughts...

This bronzer is priced at £16 but I managed to get 40% off at a recent event they held (may have been over the last bank holiday weekend... can't remember!) and so it is quite pricey in my eyes! But is it worth it?

This handmade, slow baked bronzer gives off a subtle glow giving the perfect sun kissed look. It can be built for a more dramatic evening look but is not too shimmery,so you can wear it for day time too, if used with a light hand. 


The packaging is quite nice, clear so you can see the product, perfect for any beauty addict who perhaps has way too much products like me and so can easily be found when rooting around. 



As you can see from the swatch, it looks slightly orangey but when applied with a brush it looks much more natural!

Would I purchase again?

If it was on offer, then yes. But to me £16 seems a little steep. Especially when there are other bronzer's out there that are cheaper and of the same quality.

What's your favourite bronzer?

Mummy B xoxox
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Wednesday 29 May 2013

I Heart Half Term


I am very much enjoying my half term holiday. It takes me back to my maternity leave which was my most special and happiest time! I love everything about being at home with my family, looking after the house, spending time with Lady, seeing special friends and most of all giving all my time to Darcie. I really don't want it to end. 

Fortunately even though I AM a full time working mum I have this wonderful luxury of being able to spend the school holidays with my nearest and dearest. Making all the hard work so worth it. Its like I have the best of both worlds. Something I feel very lucky to have.

Love you Darice b.

Mummy B xoxox




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Tuesday 28 May 2013

Bargain Finds!

So today was spent with another trip to Norwich shopping (I swear I don't do this everyday!) with my Mum, so she could buy Little D her birthday present and I managed to get my hands on some bargains!



I got some very basic bra's from La Senza, as I was in some desperate need for some "practical" bras! These aren't the most attractive things on the planet but I find La Senza's basics sooo unbelievably comfortable I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the price...




Yes you read that correctly, £1.50 each!! I couldn't believe it! These should of come to £68.00 but only cost me £6.00!!! Craziness! 

What's your favourite bargain buy??

Mummy B xoxox

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Monday 27 May 2013

Bank Holiday May - Busy Bees!

This weekend has been a mad one! Preparing for Darcie's Birthday is well under way with presents all bought and garden sorted! But I have to say I'm exhausted! But we did manage to have some Garden fun...




All ready for her birthday!! 

In other news Darcie walked across the living room all by herself! She has come on leaps and bounds this week it wouldn't surprise me if she walks before Sunday!

How did you spend your bank holiday?

Mummy B xoxox


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Saturday 25 May 2013

My Life Through Instagram

Today has been a lovely day with my little family shopping for Darcie B's birthday and I think we are ready for next weekend's festivities.  

As we only got back home about two hours ago tonight's post is going to be brief! 

Just a quick Instagram picture update ...

Enjoy



Mummy B xoxox
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Friday 24 May 2013

Scentsy - Tilia Warmer and Honeymoon Hideaway Scent Review

Let me introduce you to an amazing brand called Scentsy. 

"Scentsy began with a simple idea — a safe, wickless alternative to scented candles — and quickly grew into one of the most successful direct selling companies in the world. This wickless concept is simply decorative ceramic warmers designed to melt scented wax with a heating element instead of a traditional wick and flame."

And I am hooked!

A good friend of mine, Hayley, was introduced to the brand and became a consultant. She soon then introduced me their products as she knew I was a fan of scented candles. Being a mummy I now wanted a more safer, child friendly alternative to candles. Scentsy are a unqiue candle warming system that uses a 25 watt bulb to warm the wax progressively, becoming a pool of liquid wax. Scentsy candle bars last up to 80 hours and will never release a harmful chemicals that you can find in normal candle jars. 

They have a great selection of different style warmer but I was instantly drawn to a warmer called Tilia.


This is a simple, modern shaped, porcilen warmer has a beautiful tree design which looks amazing when lit..


It looks stunning on my side board! Anyway when I ordered, Hayley popped over and brought me her bag of scents so I could choose from the beautiful fragrances they had to offer. I chose Honeymoon Hideaway, Apple Press and Blueberry Cheesecake.




Currently I have been burning Honeymoon Hideaway and its absolutely gorgeous! I have no idea how to describe scents/fragrances but on the website they describe it as "Escape to a secluded retreat of dew-kissed lily and tart-sweet kiwi, shaded by lush coconut 
palm." Its such a grown up elegent but relaxing scent, and at the moment I simply don't want to try the others as this one is making my whole house smell amazing!! 

This product is so easy to use, plug it in, break off one of the cubes, place it on top of the warmer and relax...





So what are my overall thoughts?

I love it, and it is so worth the money! This warmer was priced at £30 and then the Candle Bars are then £5 each and they last around 80 hours per bar. Compare that to other well known candle jars you actually save yourself a fortune! Plus I love how safe they are and I know don't need worry needlessly! 

So if you would like to find out more, contact Hayley at her website
HERE and get hooked on Scentsy!

Mummy B xoxox 
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Thursday 23 May 2013

And breathe........



Tomorrow is Friday. One more day until my week off! What a busy couple of days it has been. Darcie has been a bit of a nightmare at night, for some reason she is really struggling without her dummy (even though she has been fine without it until now) and has taken ages to go off to sleep!

Also Jamie and Darcie had a bit of a car accident this morning (not actually that bad), all ok but the car has taken a beating and needs quite a bit of work done - thank god for insurance!

On the brightside my The Body Shop delivery came :)

Don't forget you can still enter my giveaway HERE.

Mummy B xoxox
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Tuesday 21 May 2013

My First Giveaway

So I have had this blog for just over a year now, and its become quite a big part of my life. I have "met" some amazing people through blogging and have been given some good opportunities so I thought it was about time I gave something back to my readers!

On Sunday I blogged about The Body Shops Vitamin E Cool BB Cream, to which I absolutly LOVE, if you haven't already read about it you can read it HERE.


So if you like the sound of this wonderful product why not enter my first giveaway! I went and purchased another bottle just for you guys!! I'm using rafflecopter, which is fairly straight forward,

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Follow the instructions, and Good Luck!!!

Mummy B xoxoxx
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Monday 20 May 2013

Summer to do list


I love the summer, one thing about my job is that I'm lucky enough to get the most out of it with six weeks of bliss!

So to make sure I get the most out of my summer I am going to make a "Summer to do list" of the things I want to do/get done.

So here goes...

Picnic: At Santon Downham, by the river followed by a long walk with the whole family. 

Camping: Jamie is off to America in September for his brothers wedding, so a family holiday is pretty much out of the question this year. But I think we could perhaps squeeze a weekend camping somewhere not too far away. 

DIY: There are quite alot of jobs around the house that need doing, like painting our blooming bedroom which we  have had the paint for since Christmas!!

Gardening: I really want flowers in the garden... please...

Beach Days: My favourite local beach include Southwold, Wells, Aldburgh and Lowestoft. We go to the beach quite alot but rarely have a proper beach day.

Get My Hair Done: Odd one, but I haven't been to the hairdressers in nearly a year! I have been growing it long again but now it need taming! And dying! Alot of people have been asking me how I ombre my hair... Embarrassing when its roots!

Make A Photo Wall: I take tons of photos and instead of them just sat on my laptop its time I start putting them up around the house.

Have A Bike Date: Jamie recently got a bigger bike and is persuading me to go on the back, we have got most of the gear now, I just need a helmet.

Nothing out of the ordinary, but all things that can be done but too often don't happen!

Mummy B xoxox
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Sunday 19 May 2013

The Body Shop's Vitamin E Cool BB Cream Review


About a month a go I purchased The Bodyshop's Vitamin E Cool BB Cream available for £10 and I have been so impressed I thought I would share my thoughts with you.

This BB cream is apart of the Vitamin E skin care range of which I am already a big fan of, so I had high hopes for this product. Previously I have never used a BB cream before, I dislike my uneven skin tone and so usually tend to like fuller coverage when choosing a foundation and so have steered clear of others. However, I recently attended a Body Shop Party were I was able to swatch and listen to others who had used it, and I was instantly impressed and wanted to give it a whirl.

For summer, I hate the way a fuller make-up look feels and so really wanted to fall in love with this BB Cream. Sure enough I have. 

The Body Shop states that this product "illuminates, evens skin tone and protects with moisture for 12 hours, available in one shade, the lightweight texture will effortlessly blend onto skin for a fresh and natural look".

Does it?

YES!!!



It feels gorgeous against the skin, very light weight and my skin feels moisturised all day. For me, I touch up a little bit with concealer  but its fantastic and I have been really happy with the look that this BB cream gives me. 


Perfect for those chilled out days, when a more natural look is perfect.

Mummy B xoxox

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Monday 13 May 2013

First Birthday Invitations - Vista Print

So as you may have read from Saturday's post that we recently sent out the invitations to Darcie's first birthday and as promised I am going to share with you!

Our gorgeous invitations were made by Vista Print and I have been VERY impressed. 

Before I go into more detail here they are...


Sorry for the horrible edit but didn't want to share my details! 


Back


Stickers for the envelopes.

This was a pre-set design that we added her picture to, changed the colours slightly and I'm so pleased with the way it looks. We opted for a more luxurious finish with the paper choice and it looks and feels beautiful.

Vista Prints website was very easy and straight forward to use and within no time we had the perfect invitation for our little ones first birthday. 

Now the cost of these... 

Invitations: £11.03
Linen Finish: £2.91
Colour back page: £1.24
Upload fee: £1.24
Stickers: £2.49
Envelopes: FREE
Shipping charges: £8.91

I thought the price of the invitations where actually very good, for the quality that you couldn't get in shop bought ones. The only two criticism was the postage charge (we did not select the expensive option either) and the fact that the envelopes were too small. When I tweeted them about the envelopes they were more than happy to help.

I am so happy with the results, I would definitely recommend Vista Print if your looking for something special in an invitation.

Not long left to go until her big day :)

Mummy B xoxox




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Saturday 11 May 2013

First Birthday Outfits

Three weeks tomorrow until Darcie turns One!
The invites have been sent out today so recipients should get them Monday... Then I will share with you her gorgeous party invitations.

So I am starting to look for the perfect outfit for Darcie for her big day, last Saturday I went to Norwich and browsed John Lewis and Debenhams and LOVED everything! I also spent alot of time this morning on Zulily browsing... so here are a couple of things I have been eyeing up!


When I saw this in Debenhams I was instantly drawn to it. The beautiful embroidered flowers and the yellow corsarge are perfect for a special occasion. However I decided against this because I know within two minuets of her wearing it it would be filthy! 
Rocha.John Rocha currently £18.00-19.00 for a limited time only.


This was again from Debenhams and is such a pretty coral colour, I did swoon over this for quite sometime!
Baker by Ted Baker, currently £21.00-24.00 for a limited time only.


Another from Debenhams is this gorgeous two piece set, which looks even better in person. Its so adorable, with the boat design and cute bow belt!
J by Jasper Conran, currently available for £13.50-15.00 for a limited time only.


This bright and colourful dress is from John Lewis. Other than the fact that the print is just stunning the detail around the neck and sleves are so pretty!
John Lewis available for £18.00-19.00.

So this one is from Zulily and is such a fun summer dress! I love the bright and colourful design, perfect for a party!
Lourdes available for a limited time, priced £19.00


Another from Zulily, is this gorgeous and classic dress. I love this, alot!
Mini Mundo del Bebe available for a limited time only, priced at £19.99

What is you idea of the perfect party dress?

Mummy B xoxox

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Thursday 9 May 2013

One4all Best Birthday Guide


“Best Birthday”
For busy people with busy lives.
Life is go, go, go these days with little time to pamper yourself, let alone organise a birthday celebration to remember… does this sound like you?

You’re not alone – in fact, One4all Gift Cards conducted research recently that found an increasing number of people are overlooking their special day.
To help bring back the magic of birthdays here is a great guide to ensure you have a fantastic birthday.
The One4all gift card is a great gift idea and can be used in 17,000 stores nationwide! In fact it can be used in some of the retailers featured in this guide – B&Q, House of Fraser, Red Letter Days and Superbreak.

Steps to achieving the ‘Best Birthday’


1. The Birthday Cake
The research showed that less than 15% of us would always get a cake on our birthdays…. It is easy, in a rush, to pick up a standard supermarket cake that is plain, dry and rather ordinary. However, you could have a wonderful and unique birthday cake without having to stand for hours in the kitchen slaving over a mixing bowl and icing intricate detailing onto a Victoria sponge.

Have a browse on the Internet and see the vast array of unique cake makers and the specialist cakes on offer, from all over the country.

It takes a couple of clicks and you have an original specialised cake… and make someone’s day really special.

The cake deigns are unique to you, and nothing seems impossible for these talented cake makers (see some examples below).

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2.The Decorations

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So, you want fabulous decorations but don’t have the time to trawl around for the best bunting or price compare what’s on offer?

Well, there are plenty of ways to acquire decorations that appear to have taken a lot of effort, but have only taken a few minutes of your time.
Websites such as Party Box have tasteful decorations available – at a very reasonable price. You can even take the party outside with cheerful garden party decorations such as these super fairy lights from B&Q.
A quick and easy way to make a birthday celebration special…




3. Drinks
Are you fed up of drinking copious amounts of wine and beer at your birthday celebrations? Cocktails have never been so ‘in’ and you can liven up your drinks choices at a reasonable price to you, and feel like you’re ‘so’ Sex in the City.A little bit of imagination can go a long way; here are some great cocktail ideas that are reasonable, easy and creative from Black Cherry Martini to a Fair and Warmer.
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However, you can even be inventive with the drinks that you already have at home… a great example is Sangria – which can add a Spanish mix to your party celebrations.
Ingredients: 3 parts red wine, 1 part orange juice, 2 parts lemonade, ice, fresh mint (optional) and sliced fruit such as oranges and lemons.

Preparation: Mix all the ingredients together in a large jug and add more red wine, orange and lemonade according to taste and desired strength and then enjoy… simple!
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Another great recipe, that is non-alcoholic, is Mint Lemonade…
Ingredients: large handful of fresh mint, 6 lemons (juice and zest of 3), 3 tsp of sugar cane syrup and sparkling mineral water.

Preparation: Place the mint leaves into a tea towel and bruise with a rolling pin, add the mint to a pitcher, with the lemon juice and zest and sugar cane syrup, top up with sparkling water. Mix the cocktail well and more sugar cane syrup, to taste… chill in the fridge and enjoy!
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Also, liven up the displays of your drinks on offer. A top tip for beers (in a garden celebration) is to display beer buckets, and also using jam jars as glasses is a current trend. You can find some great al fresco dining accessories at House of Fraser.
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4. A Birthday experience… to remember
Forget a meal or night out… why not celebrate your birthday in style - a birthday with a difference. Red Letter Days, offers a wide range of experience days, and has some great birthday ideas, which they can set your birthday apart from previous years. And what’s more – you can buy with a One4all gift card!
Red Letter Day birthdays are great for celebrating a monumental birthday – great for both men and women, of all ages. The packages range from test-driving Ferraris to a unique wine tasting day. The Red Letter Days experience can be purchased with the One4all gift card.
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5. A Mini Break
Would you like to get away from the hustle and bustle? A mini break can be a perfect way to celebrate your birthday, for you. If you aren’t keen on big party celebrations, then a city break and getaway could be the perfect answer to make your birthday special.

There are plenty of websites that have reasonable and last minute places available for that perfect getaway both in the UK and abroad. E.g. Superbreak
6. Perfect gift
Fed up with receiving a gift you do not want? The answer is asking your friends and family for a gift card, but not any gift card – a multi store gift card. The One4all gift card is secure, safe and can be spent in over 17,000 retail outlets nationwide. Retail partners are well known names such as House of Fraser, Debenhams, Boots, Dorothy Perkins, New Look, Topshop, Waterstones, Pizza Express, Zizzis and Beaverbrook’s to name a few. Find out more here.

The One4all gift card also has a group gifting function, and this means that family and friends can collate money and you can purchase a larger present with it – no more unwanted presents!
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7. Party food
Party foods trends are always changing… below are the top five key trends for the upcoming summer season…perfect for any birthday celebration to make or buy in:
Macaroons
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Cake Pops
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Mini Burgers
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Dips Toasts


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Finally, however you spend your birthday make sure you take time for yourself and enjoy your special day. Don’t forget… it only comes around once a year!

This post was brought to you buy One4all
xoxox
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