Blinged Babies, child free shopping and CBeebies presenters #LittleLoves

Not joined in with #LittleLoves for a little while but here's our round up of the week...

Read

I keep meaning to sit down and read a book but I just never get the time, I'm either doing my Mum duties or blogging! I have read some brilliant blog posts recently though:  

• Brummy Mummy of 2 - 12 Signs you are staying in, Mum Style ( this made me laugh so much!!)
• Dear Mummy - Our Week in York (This is such a lovely blog written from Baby Isabella's perspective and this post just made me want to visit York!)
• Mummy, Daddy and Me Makes Three - A Picnic in the Buttercups (Some of the prettiest photos I have seen on a blog, the little girls are very cute)

Watched

On the recommendation of a friend, I managed to watch Blinging Up Baby on Channel 5 this week - oh my gosh! I'm not sure a toddler needs a Louis Vitton bag!

I'm also loving that America's Next Top Model is back on Sky Living - I think Tyra is a bit nuts and the people who apply to be on it are just as nuts but it's so entertaining! Roll on makeover week :) 

My husband has finally finished watching House and has binged watched Sense 8 and is now on Sons of Anarchy. I can't really get into it so my evenings are spent on the laptop blogging! 

Wore

I had a rare child free shopping trip this week so I managed to pick up a few bits. Normally clothes shopping is a bit stressful with a toddler, Elliot gets so bored so I have to either order online or just take my mum or sister to amuse him whilst I'm in the changing rooms! I was really impressed with New Look's Inspire (plus size) range. Usually they have a really small section and nothing to my taste but there was a lot more to offer this time and the Inspire section had doubled in size. 

I'm not very trendy and just wear whats comfy (that makes me sound old!) but I picked up a couple of pretty tops and a black cardy which I know will be really useful. I have a navy short sleeved cardy that I've had years and it goes with most things in my wardrobe, it has been worn to death so I thought it was about time I upgraded! 

Of course I couldn't go shopping and not buy Elliot something so I picked up yet another Minions tshirt in Asda. This one features the dinosaur from the Minions trailer and Elliot couldn't wait to wear it! 

Heard

One of my favourite songs at the moment is James Bay - Hold Back the River. I love how it starts off so quietly and then builds and builds. We've been singing it at choir too :)

Made

Elliot and I made some Baker Ross Father's Day gifts today (review coming very soon!) but otherwise it's been a bit quiet on the crafts front. He's been nagging to get the Play Doh out again so guess what we'll be doing tomorrow! 

And Lastly...

Hubby is off to Butlins on a boys weekend tomorrow so it's just Elliot and I for the next few days. We have lots planned but the weather is looking pretty crappy so I really hope it stays dry at least. On Saturday we are going to Bristol for the Festival of Nature. Looks like a great day out for Elliot...and us going has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that Andy from CBeebies is there doing dinosaur raps!!! Elliot is beside himself with excitement that we are seeing Andy again :)

photo credit - BBC

Serenata Flowers Giveaway!

If you need to send someone a gift and are lost for ideas, then look no further than Serenata Flowers. Don't let the name fool you, they are much much more than just flowers! You can find all varieties of hampers including picnic hampers, baby hampers, beer & ale, champagne, fine food plus chocolates, wines, plants and of course flowers. 

In the Flower section, if you're unsure of what to order then you can see what their best sellers are, or what the current florist choices are. You can even search under different Occasions which makes it a lot easier if you are looking for something specific such as a new baby or an anniversary. 

The brilliant thing about Serenata Flowers is that you can order up to 10pm and still get next day delivery - very useful if you suddenly remember a birthday! 

I am very happy to be bringing you this giveaway and you can win a gorgeous vased arrangement called Summer Sorbet, perfect for brightening up any room. We were sent these flowers too and I can confirm they are as lovely as they look in the photo! I love the sunflowers and the colours all go so well together. 

Summer Sorbet - Serenata Flowers

Competition Time

If you would like to win the Summer Sorbet flowers, please see below:

Entry via Rafflecopter, UK only

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Open Farm Day - Dorset

Sunday 7th June 2015 saw hundreds of farms across the UK opening their doors to the public, giving us a chance to meet the farmers and see what goes on at our local farms . Although Open Farm Sunday has only been going since 2006, I remember going to similar days out when I was a child and have fond memories of fresh milkshakes and tractor trailer rides!

There were several options for us in Dorset but we decided to visit Middlebere and Hartlands Farm which is located in the Purbecks, not far from Corfe Castle. Entry is free so it's a cheap day out!

When we arrived we were a bit miffed to see that it wasn't actually a traditional farm as such, but one that sits within a nature reserve. It did state this on the website but we didn't actually read that bit, oops!

The first thing we spotted were some woolly pigs but they were situated next to the amazing smelling bbq which we thought was a little unfair ;) Resisting the food (it took will power of steel to resist!) we made our way over to the tractors where Elliot had lots of fun clambering on and pretending to drive. We soon saw that there were lots of little stalls offering environmental fun and info, and also some Dorset produce for sale.

There were lots of activities for Elliot to get involved in and he planted a seed, coloured in a butterfly, took part in a wildlife quiz, made a badge, pinned the tail on the cow and made a bumblebee!

Guided walks around the farm were available but we decided to go on a tractor trailer ride. These were around 20 minutes long and totally free and looked to be very popular with every ride full up. There were longer tractor rides available but these were £1pp and had to be pre-booked. The ride took us round the pretty farmland and it was interesting to hear the farmer talking about the land and the cattle that were grazing in the field.

Our last activity for the day was a spot of welly wanging! Harder than it sounds and Elliot definitely need a bit of help throwing the wellies!

Whilst it wasn't quite what we were expecting, we had a lovely (and free!) afternoon at Open Farm Sunday and we will definitely return again next year.


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Dinosaurs Alive at Longleat Safari and Adventure Park

We visited Longleat Safari and Adventure Park twice last year (see here and here)  and it is definitely one of our favourite attractions in the UK. There is just so much to do and you really do get your moneys worth here, especially if you use your Tesco Clubcard points to buy your ticket! We had one free ticket courtesy of our clubcard and Elliot was free so we just needed to pay for one adult. I pre-booked online the  night before and it cost £29.65. The earlier you book, the more online discount you receive.

We arrived at Longleat just after 10am so we headed straight for the Safari, our first stop being the African Village. We didn't get to see the Giraffes on our last visit as it was too wet so Elliot was really excited to see them out this time around, and to be able to see them up close too! Longleat have a viewing platform which is perfect height to see the Giraffes, and we were also in time for the feeding session. From £2 you can purchase branches to feed the giraffes and we did just that. It was really fun but after a quick munch on our leafy branch, Gerty the giraffe decided she'd had enough and moved on to the next branch! The giraffes are probably my favourite animal at Longleat and we even managed to spot a baby one who was 2 weeks old, and pretty big!

Moving on to the Lemur Walkthrough and we were happy to see the lemurs playing and sunbathing on the grass. On our last visit they were tucked away from the awful weather in their little houses and didn't want want to come out! They were very cute, especially the mummy lemur carrying her babies on her back. On our way back to the car we passed a safari jeep guide who was offering a 20 minute tour through the Monkey Enclosure for £5 pp. We had decided not to risk the monkeys again because we got off lightly last time and didn't want to push our luck but at this price it was alot cheaper than a repair to the car would be! Well worth the money, our guide gave us lots of facts and we enjoyed seeing the monkeys wrecking other peoples cars...we even saw a car going round with his window open, madness!

We drove round the rest of the safari in our own car and luckily it wasn't too busy so we didn't have to wait too long getting through the big cat enclosure. (You can read all about the safari in my previous Longleat post). When the safari was over, it was lunchtime so headed over to the Adventure Park and found a shady spot for lunch. (And tried to avoid the swarming gangs of kids on their school trip!)

Longleat often have special events on and this summer saw the arrival of the Dinosaurs Alive. 20 life-sized dinosaurs can be found around the Adventure Park and we soon spotted our first prehistoric beast....the might T-Rex. Elliot loves dinosaurs but he was a bit scared of this one, it moves and roars and had massive teeth! Elliot posed for a few pics but he kept looking over his shoulder as if he expected the t-rex to chase him!

We decided to skip the Jungle Cruise as we'd done it before but we really wanted to go on the Jungle Express train and although the queue was pretty big we managed to find an empty carriage. The train winds along next to the lake and we managed to spot the hippos and one of the gorillas, plus lots of pelicans. We also passed several dinosaurs which Elliot was excited to see from a distance!

Walking through to the penguin enclosure we passed lots more dinosaurs and Elliot's avid watching of Andy and his dinosaurs has obviously paid off because he could name all of them! These ones were a lot less intimidating than the T-Rex so he was happy to get a bit closer!

We popped into Animal Adventure where Elliot was brave enough to hold a snake...quite glad the tarantulas weren't out! We then found ourselves in the gift shop....Elliot's idea of heaven! We actually managed to make it out just £2 lighter, could have been so much worse with all those lovely toys and gifts.

The weather had taken a turn for the worse at this point and have come over very grey and windy but we just had time to check out the Adventure Castle playground. I'd assumed it would be for bigger kids and there were a lot of things to keep big kids entertained but there was also lots for Elliot's age. He enjoyed the trampolines and there was also a big spinning roundabout thing that he loved! We did spot a splashpad tucked away at the back of the park but the water wasn't turned on which was a pity although probably for the best as it was a bit chilly!

We ended the day with a trip into the Batcave - I'm not really a fan of bats so I didn't linger but Elliot was fascinated. Especially by the bat who liked to wee on passing visitors!!

We had a brilliant day at Longleat and can't wait to return!

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Happy Birthday to Me

Yesterday was my 34th birthday and normally being the start of June, we have glorious sunshine. Not so yesterday.....I woke up to gale force winds and torrential rain, it was like Winter had returned! Still, I didn't let it dampen my birthday cheer...here's what we got up to...

Turns out toddlers aren't very good at keeping secrets because as I was in the shower I heard Elliot shout "Mummy, we are having a surprise party breakfast for you!!" and my husband trying to shh him! So I had to pretend to be surprised when I was faced with a Minions birthday cake...and randomly some cheese & pineapple! Elliot was mega excited about the birthday cake and I got treated to a rendition of Happy Birthday to you, Squashed Tomatoes with poo....you look like a monkey and you smell like one too. Thanks Elliot!

I'm not sure what kind of face he's pulling in the bottom one, looks like he's in pain!

As the weather was so bad in the morning, we just stayed home and watched Elliot's current favourite film - Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. I don't know what it is about this film but he wants to watch it ALL the time...so it's getting a little tedious!

We decided to go out for lunch for a treat as it was my birthday so we persuaded my hubby to take a lunchbreak and we just went to a local pub. It's nothing fancy but Elliot eats free which is always a bonus! We dropped hubby back at work afterwards and Elliot was starting to get a bit tired. So I whacked on some Hayley Westenra in the car and did a few laps of the dual carriage way and he was asleep in no time! By this point the rain had stopped and the sun had made an appearance so I parked up at my favourite view point and read a magazine for the first time in ages. I would say it was peaceful but the snoring from the back of the car was pretty loud ;)

When he woke up from his slumber we visited my Grandparents and then ended up back at my Mum and Dad's house. I got spoilt with some lovely presents, we had a yummy curry for tea and then we had homemade birthday cake for pudding! Elliot had actually helped make and decorate the cake, I wonder how many smarties ended up in his belly and not on the cake though!

Birthdays are never the same as you get older and especially when you have children but I had a nice day...and I've got enough cake to keep us fed until next week at least ;)

Braun CoolTec CT2s-w Review

As part of my Father's Day gift guide, we were sent a Braun Cooltec CT2s-w Shaver to review. As I'm lacking in the facial hair department I handed this review over to my husband and here's what he had to say....

Braun CoolTec CT2s-w Review

I was a Philishave user from the day I was old enough to shave (I’m not far off 40 now!).  Two years ago I got fed up with splashing out for expensive and poor quality Philishave units which just break after just 6 months use.  On the third unit I jumped ships and I decided to move from Philishave 3 rounded heads to the more traditional dual horizontal heads of Braun.  A decision I am pleased to have made.  My first impression of my new Braun razor was how better the build quality is.  It was heavier and felt more solid and the shave was pretty close.  I had been using this for two years (and only needed to change the head once in this time).

I received the CoolTec CT2s-w electric razor and have been using it for 3 weeks now.  My first impression was also how good the build quality is.  Heavy, like it’s predecessor, and contoured to fit in my hand perfectly.  The first thing to do is give it a full charge.  My first surprise was there there is no power socket on the razor to charge it directly from mains.  Charging is via the provided dock which needed to be assembled first.  The razor can only be charged via the dock which is disappointing when I travel because this dock takes up valuable space in my bag!  Not a massive issue, charge generally lasts me about 5-7 days, enough for most trips away!

My skin has never been sensitive to shaving so I didn’t care about the active cooling technology which is this razor’s biggest selling point. However, within a few seconds, the integrated electro ceramic element against my face felt good it really did cool my skin as I shaved.  It was a bit odd at first but I soon got used to it and when I went back to my two year old Braun razor (I was away for a week and wanted to razor that I could charge directly from mains without a dock!) the active cooling was something I missed.

Cleaning the CoolTec CT2s-w was also really easy.  The head pops off much easier than my other Braun and cleaning under running warm water is all that is needed.  The CoolTec CT2s-w itself is waterproof to 5m (why you want to go 5m is anyone’s guess!) but assume this is why there is no power socket.

Overall, this is a really impressive electric shaver.  Probably the best one I have used and one I will be using for a long time.  I am not sure just how long the heads will last, I usually change them every 18 Months, sometimes later than this.

Disclaimer: We received the shaver for the purpose of this honest review. All views are my husband's own

Father's Day Cards by Dom and Geri

With Father's Day fast approaching, hopefully you've got a present sorted (if you're clueless, see my giftguide!) but have you got bought a card yet?

You might visit a card shop to pick up a card, or you might grab one in the supermarket when you do your shopping. You might even send one online...which is where Dom and Geri come in!

Dom and Geri is a quirky and fun brand who's website features lots of personalised greetings cards covering all occasions. What sets them apart from other well known online card retailers is that they offer matching personalised wrapping paper and gift tags - very useful and makes the present that little bit more special. 

We were sent a selection of Father's Day cards to review and first impressions were great. The cards were a decent size and the quality pretty good. I loved the glossy look of the cards too, and it sounds silly but they smelt nice! The smell took me back to my youth when I used to collect stickers for our Kylie and Jason sticker album....but that's abit irrelevant so moving on ;)

Our selection included a variety of cute, traditional and vintage and they were all personalised with either my husband's or Elliot's name. My personal favourite was the one you can see at the front of the photo - it's very cute but not in a mushy way and exactly what I'd look for when buying my husband a card from Elliot. There are lots to choose from on the website and definitely something for everyone. They even have a mature humour section for over 18's - it wasn't my cup of tea but I'm sure some will love it!

The cards come as a standard A5 size and are priced at £2.49, with 60p for delivery. I think this is a great price for a personalised card especially as you will find some really unique and quirky designs that you won't find elsewhere.

If you're not familiar with the Dom and Geri brand then it is definitely worth checking out their website, they have lots to offer and nice to have something a bit different from their well known competitors!

For more info, please visit http://www.domandgeri.com/

Disclaimer: We received the cards for the purpose of this honest review. All views are my own