It’s that time of year, everyone is dressing their homes ready for Halloween and then Christmas!
The boys have recently discovered “The nightmare before Christmas” so I created a cute window display ready for Halloween.
This was so easy to do, took me around 20 mins in total and the boys along with passes by love it! We have had lots of smiles and children pointing. I’m already planning our Christmas display which will be bigger and better!
If you don’t have smart vinyl this will also work with normal vinyl on a matt, bigger the mat the bigger the design can be but you could also do it in stages!
Step 1 – Choose your design, we opted for the cute Jack Skellington scene
Step 2 – Scale up the design to the measurements you want, in hindsight I would of gone bigger but it worked great with a banner in the window.
Step 3 – Choose your materials and load the mat, I went for Cricut’s Smart Removable Vinyl in the shade Aqua. Its durable but removes easily without leaving a sticky residue perfect for walls and windows.
Step 4 – Set your image to “Mirror” especially if it has words in it as you want it to be the right way when looking from outside. Set your cutting settings to meet your materials and press go!
Anyone else just love watching the Cricut Maker 3 cut? It blows my mind especially when using smart vinyl, the speed is crazy!
Step 5 – Unload the machine and start to weed, this is my absolute favourite part I find it so satisfying to do. Being able to slowly see the image come to life.
Step 6 – Apply your transfer tape over the image and smooth out making sure there’s no bubbles.
Step 7 – Clean your window to make sure it’s free of dust and dirt, rubbing alcohol is great to use for this.
Step 8 – Apply vinyl to the window and using your scraper tool gently rub over the design to make sure there are no air bubbles and the vinyl has stuck down all over.
Step 9 – Remove the transfer tape slowly and carefully using your scraper to help if you need to.
Step 10 – Go outside to see what it looks like…It will look amazing.
I can feel this being a new obsession for us, you could do displays for all through the year, birthdays etc. I’m excited to try the removable vinyl on the boy’s bedrooms, how cute would Christmas wall art be.
I would love to see what you create tag me in your photos! See the video we created here!
Saff xo
Thank you, Crafting Outlet, for gifting the items used in this make!
Hello my darlings, you may have seen I have started a new business yay! I’m excited to share with you all the story behind it, how it’s gone so far and hopefully help and guide you in to how you can start crafting for a hobby or for a little side hustle. Don’t worry nothing has changed I’m still very busy with my Press On Nails, mentoring and social media stuff.
Just Obsessed Launched on the 13th October 2022 and it’s been a whirl wind already! Grateful and blown away by the response we have had so far.
Bit of back story…
I have always been into crafting and making things, I struggle to sit still in the evenings, always doing something like knitting, cross stitching, painting, drawing, colouring especially in the colder months. There’s something about crafting that just feels so cosy to me, I don’t know if it comes back to when I was a child and would get gifted crafting sets for Christmas but as soon as the weather starts to turn, I’m already thinking of all the new projects I can start.
10 years ago, when my eldest was a baby, I would make and sell hand knitted blankets and sewn Christmas stockings, I then started to stick gems on anything and everything I could get my hands on finally settling to sticking gems on glasses, that’s when my first little venture took off. It went so well; I enjoyed being creative making gifts for people while also doing a hobby and a craft I loved. Then my second child was born and things had to slow down I couldn’t keep up with demand so said goodbye to “Saffron’s pretty little things”
Fast forward to now, I love my social media creative side with the videos and photos, I have my Press On nails which is a great creative outlet for me with the painting but I knew I needed more.
Vinyl, a completely new hobby to me I had brought vinyl cuts of people in the past for glasses back in “Saffron’s Pretty Little Things” days but I had never created something myself. I searched the internet learning about the different types of machines and found it incredibly overwhelming, hours of YouTube videos, reading blogs searching for the best machine for us as a family along with what it is you actually need to start!
I came across “Crafting Outlet” their website had the Cricut Maker 3 and a bundle of everything I would need to start crafting something I hadn’t seen on any other site. Everywhere I looked I felt confused with what it is I needed, that getting a bundle seemed like the perfect option for a complete novice like me.
While on the site I had a Live Chat option pop up and thought I would wrack their brains as to what machine they thought I would need, I had my heart on the Maker 3 but wasn’t 100% sure. They were extremely helpful, offered me a tone of advice, didn’t try and up sale me which was a huge thing and recommended the Original Maker to me. I explained what I wanted the machine for, how it would fit into our life, what I did etc and after chatting to them for a while they very kindly offered to send me a machine to review! I won’t go into too much detail but the conversation I had that day I will never forget; I know I am extremely lucky and feel so so grateful. It has allowed me to focus more time on being able to learn and share the knowledge with you all.
It’s been a couple of months since receiving the machine and I feel I have learnt a whole bunch of what to do and what not to do, if you’re wanting to start crafting for yourself as a hobby, or looking to start a side business keep an eye out for upcoming blog posts and content on my socials. I will be sharing lots of fun makes for the family, gift ideas, how to and what not to do along with tips and tricks I have learnt along the way! The machine has been so much fun for the whole family from making personalised clothes, fancy dress costumes, gifts for the kids, window displays, cards and so much more. Just the joy from the kids has been amazing.
Please have a look at Crafting Outlet online here I know I was very kindly gifted the machine but I can 110% assure you that I had my card in hand ready to purchase a machine from their website they were the best I could find with amazing customer service skills. Their socials are ace too with so many fun ideas!
We were very kindly invited down to The Old Hall Hotel in Coventry to experience their Afternoon Tea; I took along my sister-in-law for a girly afternoon together!
Firstly, they have the best selection of afternoon teas I have seen, they had different variations from Traditional to Gentleman’s, Vegan and even one called Chai Dopehar which has Samosas and Paneer Spring Rolls amongst other yummy treats. This was super intriguing to us but decided to go with the Traditional to be able to give it a fair review.
Upon arriving, the venue itself is decorated so amazingly, the attention to detail was spot on, with so many gorgeous colours, lights, and things to look at. It was modern with its unique twist.
We were seated in a beautiful window area on a large table with a comfy sofa, so much natural light came in through the window.
We were greeted by all the staff who were so lovely, and attentive, they made sure we weren’t without a drink.
Unlimited tea and coffee were included with all afternoon teas so, of course, we started with a cuppa. They have a wide selection of different flavour teas on offer which we loved to see, I opted for just your classic tea.
It wasn’t long until our Afternoon Tea Tower was brought over to us, I have to say this was the most well-presented afternoon tea I have seen, and I’ve had a fair few in my time!
Bottom Layer we had sandwiches which were properly chunky not like the skinny finger sandwiches you normally get imagine two of them put together, you could really enjoy the flavour and filling on a mix of white and brown bread.
We had Smoked Salmon, Crem fraiche and dill, Egg Mayonnaise and watercress, Cucumber, and Cream cheese with a mint herb butter dressed with loads of fresh lettuce. All were lush, my favourite was the Salmon.
The cakes we had a good variety, there was a Victoria sponge, carrot and walnut, Chocolate Profiterole, and a couple of others I’m not 100% sure on but all tasted amazing and decorated with edible flowers.
Lastly at the top of the tier… the freshly baked scones with Clotted cream and jam! The best bit If you ask me!
These were massive and tasted so good. Both the cakes and the scones had been covered in a blanket of icing sugar which made it look so pretty.
Decorated around the plate were the nicest chunkiest strawberry I’ve tasted in the longest time.
The portion size was so big we couldn’t finish it all, we were able to box it up and take it away. The husband and children demolished it when I got home.
The whole experience was so lovely, I would highly recommend it to anyone, especially if celebrating an occasion, the prices are very reasonable as well. They had children’s prices for all the themes too which I’ve never seen before. I need to go back to try the Gentleman’s Tea, wraps are included and they’re my favourite.
We had a nose at their cocktails and mocktails list, these look incredible there’s a watermelon one which sounds right up my street.
We got to explore some more of the stunning hotel, have a nose on my Instagram to see the video and a peek into what the venue has to offer.
So, you’re thinking of booking a trip to LEGOLAND Windsor or you already have a date in the diary? I have so much to tell you, so grab yourself a cuppa, this is going to be a long post.
We have not long come back from a LEGOLAND Holiday and have been asked by many of you online to document our experience. I’ve had questions about what we booked, along with our thoughts on the park, rides, hotel, and things we wished we knew before going with any tips we would recommend. We experienced LEGOLAND on a Thursday and Friday in 24-degree heat the first day and downpour rain the second day so I feel we have lots to share with you.
I hope this helps if you’re planning a visit, I am always up for a natter if there’s anything else you want to know or for me to elaborate on feel free to message me on any of my social media platforms.
Part 1 – General info, taking the children out of school, prices, accessibility, what wish we knew before coming and more.
Part 2 – Ride and attraction reviews, what’s is good for what ages, what we would recommend queuing for and what we would skip with distance ideas and the routes we would take – COMING JULY
Part 3 – Offsite Hotel Review – COMING SOON
Subscribe to the website (find it on the side bar or scroll to the bottom of this post if on a mobile) to get an email notification whenever a post!
Let’s get stuck in, we aren’t going abroad this year and myself and husband wanted to plan little weekend 2-night style stays throughout the year instead of one big holiday, something for us to look forward to and short bursts of fun for the boys.
We had a look online and LEGOLAND stood out to us as a place to go, if your new and don’t know us, we have two boys, E who is 9 and L who is 7 we thought this age would be perfect. They’re not overly into Lego as in building or making but they love the films, games, and TV programmes.
Taking the children out of school
E has additional needs and this would be our first experience at a “Theme park” with him, he struggles with ques along with many other aspects down to his ASD so we decided to book for a weekday and take the boys out of school, something we haven’t done with both being in full-time education. E goes to a special education school who are amazing and said yes, they fully understand the troubles we would have going on a busy weekend or holiday. L’s mainstream school we don’t know them on a personal level like Es, we asked for a leave of absence form from reception and wrote a very brief reason to why we wanted to take them and were honest in the fact it was for LEGOLAND, I know my child wouldn’t keep it quiet if his life depended on it.
The school were good, couldn’t authorise the time out as it wasn’t under “exceptional circumstances” but did say that we wouldn’t get fined if he was to return as usual on Monday and to “have fun” So with that out the way we looked forward to our trip. We booked for Thursday 19th and Friday 20th June in hopes we could miss the weekend rush.
Booking our holiday
We booked directly through the LEGOLAND website, we decided to stay at a nearby hotel Copthorne Slough Windsor (review on the hotel coming soon) we would have loved to have stayed in the main LEGOLAND resort, but it was crazy money and we couldn’t decide on who’s kidney to sell so we opted for the cheaper hotel.
Altogether
2 nights stay in a Family room, Thursday Night, Friday Night with breakfast both mornings
Tickets for the 4 of us Thursday and Friday (must be used consecutively)
With two days of parking in the park (cheaper to book online than pay on the day)
Total – £443
Extras we had to pay for, petrol to travel of course. The hotel has onsite parking which is charged at a discounted rate of £7 a day costing £14 for the two nights. They also charge £10 a family to use the swimming pool and leisure facilities per day where some hotels have that included in the price its worth checking directly with the hotel and looking on the own company website.
Don’t forget to use cashback sites like Top Cash Back to get money back from your holiday.
When booking a hotel be sure to look at the distance from the park, if they have onsite parking, is breakfast included along with how much the extra facility’s are if your wanting to use.
While booking the holiday we had an option of booking a few extras in LEGOLAND, one of them being a Digipass, which we should have done, it’s £14 for the day and you get all the photos from the rides that take photos (around 7 and the roaming photography.) If you pay for it on the day like us, it costs £20 so you would save £5. You can also upgrade for £10 on the day to use it for a second day meaning if you were to do both it would be £25 for all your ride photos for you to download for both days.
Travelling to the park
We travelled from Coventry and it was an easy straightforward trip, taking us around an hour and a half. Close to LEGOLAND around 10 minutes away we came across lots of little pubs, an Aldi and Tesco, we stopped for toilet breaks here so we didn’t have to worry about going when we got to the park after our journey. We stopped to grab meal deal lunches to take into the park it saved us a fortune, along with time. The pubs would be perfect on the way out for dinner.
(If you are planning to eat in the park, make sure to check what time the places open and close some are only open at certain times.)
Before you go download the app, it’s amazing as it shows you where you are in real-time, what rides you are close to, what the wait time for the ride is, and all the details and restrictions. If a ride is closed or not. All the show times it’s great and we used it constantly throughout the day.
What we wore and took in our day bag
I would really recommend you take a day bag that has plenty of pockets and zips, a walking bag like this oneherethat’s durable and easy to throw about but narrow that it would fit by your legs on rides. I also wore a thin waterproof that has zip pockets for phones so it was handy for photos and the app but would be secure on rides.
I swear by these Carabinier clips here I use them when ever we do family day trips it makes things so much easier to carry you can clip caps to them, lunchbox’s, all sorts.
Loads of snacks, these were perfect, especially for the kids to eat when queuing for rides, it was a great way to distract them and there are bins in most ques to get rid of rubbish. Zip lock bags for crisps and snacks meant we could easily stop and start if we got on a ride.
We also packed lots of bottles of water which I regrated. All around the park they have drinks stations like the ones you get at Five guys, the ones with all flavors of fizzy drinks. They sell cups for £15 and you get unlimited refills for the day, for the second day if you bring back your cup you can pay £6 to reset it. These machines also have free water which you can use with any bottle, so if we were to go again (which we are shhh don’t tell the children we are booked to go in July) then we would take the one bottle for water and use the machines to fill up. There’s lots of stations scattered all over the park so your never to far from a top up. I think the cups are only worth it if more then two of you will be drinking fizzy drinks. The boys don’t have them so to get our moneys worth me and Luke would have to have alot of pop. The cup is a cute souvenir still.
Suntan lotion is of course a must even when its cloudy! I have one that we can clip onto our bag, but a little hack for you. Buy a clip-on hand sanitiser bottle you can get them on amazon here then fill it with your suntan lotion. Easily clips onto your bag so when you’re walking about or queueing you don’t need to rummage you have it to hand the same with sanitiser they did have lots of hand stations when you got off rides which were great and i did see a couple of suntan lotion stations which is amazing I’ve never seen that anywhere before.
I would recommend taking a battery pack like this one herewe have 3 of these and love them! In the park you use your phone a lot throughout the day not just taking photos but on the app, parts of the park have interaction spots where you scan QR codes, so an additional battery is needed. I forgot mine on day two and felt bad not letting the kids run about interacting with everything!
I wore sports leggings and a long top the first day when it was scorching hot. On the day it chucked it down I wore a dress with cycling shorts underneath, I felt so comfortable in the cycling shorts and dress combo which surprised me. On some of the rides, you get wet so I dried off quickly. There were mums in maxi dresses and sandals I defiantly would not recommend. I can imagine getting in and out of some of the rides would have been a challenge. You want to wear something that covers your bum, you don’t mind straddling things with it and are fine if it blows up from the wind on rides if that makes sense will go into more detail in my ride post. See my ride review coming soon. Some of the rides make you take your shoes off too if they aren’t fitted well and loose.
Shoes I 100% recommend sketchers all day! They are the comfiest lightest trainers ever these are the ones I have here, I’ve got them in all black and grey with pink. No laces to worry about, your feet don’t get too hot in them, no blisters, true to size, there just the best. On day two my feet only started to hurt right towards the end considering the amount of walking we did.
The boys we got them to wear their beach shoes, these have been a godsend for every trip and adventure we have been on. They’re super cheap as well we get them from here and the boys say there comfy, which means their feet can get wet and we don’t have to worry about them. They also dry super quick, have a good grip on the bottom and are perfect for water parks, streams, rides that get you wet and of course the beach. I would defiantly recommend getting some of them. The day it chucked it down they were fine. On the first path in the park there’s a little water stream that runs down the hill. The boys were straight in it no worries about soggy trainers and socks.
Navigating around the park
Parking when we got to LEGOLAND was easy, we parked in carpark B which was a short walk to the entrance. They check your bags on arrival and then you head over to where they check your tickets. I had pre-printed ours off which helped massively there was no faffing about with phones and the internet.
LEGOLAND does have its own WIFI so you can easily hook up to that.
On arrival, you can pick up maps, but you can also use the app which we used as mentioned above it’s the best way to get around. We kept a few maps for the children’s memory boxes. We also used them back at the hotel to plan the next day, the kids loved looking at them in the car.
As soon as you enter there are toilets to your left which had huge queues. If you’re like me and panic about where toilets are the next ones are a 5-minute walk, you go down the hill until you see the Lego giraffes and the LEGO REEF attraction. These are great and they also have lockers outside, so if there’s anything you have brought like wet clothes for the water park then this is a great place to keep before or after so not to have to carry it around its also not too far from the water park section.
The park is massive, I wish I had my watch on that day to track all our steps. When we go back, we will do all the walking at the start and walk right to the back of the park. This way i think you will be ahead of the crowds and the walk back at the end isn’t as long and tiring. It’s also a good way to fermiluise yourself with the park and places of interest to you. There are lots of little play bits along the way for children to help keep them going.
Our favourite toilets which seem to be central were right next to the big lake where they perform shows. These were ace, no ques and their individual toilet rooms with two toilets and sink dryer etc so perfect if you have little ones. Also, the ones who don’t need the toilet had a show to watch while waiting.
Accessibility
A few weeks leading up to the trip I reached out to LEGOLAND and asked them what they do for people with additional needs to help and they said they give out access passes which gets you to the front of the queue. We had to apply and they granted the pass to use on one of our days (my fault I didn’t send all the information over in time)
Basically how it works is you use an app and select what ride you want to go on. You join the separate access que which takes you very close to the front of the ride if not straight to the front. The special que is more accessible as well in regards to how far you have to walk etc. They will then ask to scan the QR code it gives you on your phone. If it says the wait time is 10 minutes, then your app will start to count down from 10 minutes. Once that 10minutes is up you can use the app again, so your queueing but virtually if that makes sense. It stops people from going round and round again.
Highly recommend doing it, the first day we didn’t have the pass and queued 35mins for the Duplo Coaster the second day we waited not even 5mins and the que time was at least 50mins.
The access pass is for the person with needs, and they can have their family members with them. I’m not 100% sure on the number of people who can be with them but for us as a family of 4 it meant we could all stay together.
Did you know you can get an access card if you have a disability? No, I didn’t either.
It’s basically a card which you can use to identify to places like LEGOLAND you have an additional need of whatever sort to get this access passes easier without having to show your DLA forms. I’ve applied for one, I may do a separate blog post on this so keep an eye out! Here’s the link
I believe tickets wise you can get a free carers ticket, it’s something we should have investigated but getting the holiday in the bundle it wasn’t clear. Looking back now I should have enquired and found this out we could have saved some money.
Accessibility around the park, the paths are flat but it’s downhill at the start and of course uphill at the end, lots of parents with prams looked exhausted towards the end we were all knacked and that was us just walking not needing to push or carry little ones.
They have wheelchairs and mobility scooters for hire with a charge they also have pushchairs and buggy hire too which would be super handy if the boys were little, you could use for part of the day if needed instead of lugging one around all day.
Leaving Legoland
On a weekday the park shuts promptly at 4 pm it was like someone cut the power! We said to the children lets do rides and then get in a play park once everywhere had shut, well they were kicking kids out of the playparks at 4 pm too, the only thing left open of course was the LEGO shop by the exit they keep that open for an extra hour.
The queues for the LEGO shops were insane, my husband described it as being like a scene from an American Christmas film and he was spot on, people were shopping like there was no tomorrow. Ques for the till went down fast but just waiting to get into the store took a good while.
The end of the park is when I would recommend looking around Miniland as there were no staff rushing people you have to walk past it anyway to get out.
Ques leaving the car park. Horrendous. I expected it to be bad but this was another level, no organisation.
We waited for over an hour, our car had hardly moved, and fights looked like they would break out it wasn’t great so I would definitely keep snacks and something to entertain the children just for the exit alone.
We would recommend going as far left in the car park as you can basically the last queue so it looks like you will be stuck for ages but you will get there first. Being sandwiched in the middle we just didn’t move. Then the roads leaving the park naturally with everyone leaving the traffic was chocker so bear that in mind. I feel so sorry for the residents having standstill traffic every day. Must be even worse on a weekend.
What we recommend/wish we had known
Do we recommend two days? Yes 100% bearing in mind we went school term time, and had a fast pass ticket for the second day there were rides we didn’t get a chance to go on, and we didn’t see any shows or 4D cinema stuff either.
Day two was so much better in the sense we knew where to go, and had our bearings. I’m looking forward to going back in July as we will know the place and what we want to do, however, we still managed to miss a chunk we didn’t even realise was there, it’s the fire station area, it’s sandwiched between other areas and easily missed, we only noticed it the second day when we followed the crowd to get out the place.
Search the website high and low, there website I personally feel is shocking. It’s not clear what’s open and closed. We went towards the end of may thinking the water park areas would be on depending on the weather, obviously, if it rained, we wouldn’t expect but the weather leading up to when we went and on the first day had been so warm but sadly it wasn’t open. They did however have it running, which was so strange, the kids were gutted they could see all the cool water areas and how they poured and sprayed water but couldn’t use it. On the map, it says it opens at the very end of may start of June.
In hindsight, I would google the question I want to know the answer for like, “what rides are open at Legoland” The Vikings ride had closed for maintenance and that wasn’t clear on the site.
When looking to buy tickets see how much a year membership is, it may work out better for you if you are not 100% on doing two days in a row with overnight stays you may find out it works better for your family to get a pass and then you can visit other attractions too.
Wow ok, that’s a lot of information I have thrown at you, but I really do hope it helps, again message me if you think I’ve missed anything and I’m more than happy to chat over it more. Keep an eye out for the next posts coming and I may do a little updated version after we visit in July.
We are going in the Summer holidays so wish us luck!
If you go or have been would love to hear all about it, how was your experience is there anything you recommend? Share with others in the comments bellow to help, thanks
What feels like years ago now, my husband treated me to the Dyson Supersonic Hairdryer! Completely unexpected, and he picked out the perfect colour.
You beauts know I have super long, thick, frizzy hair. For ages, I had been moaning about how pants my hairdryer was, and how it takes me forever to dry it enough for it to not be soaking wet for bed. Well, who knew Luke was actually listening and taking in my complaining. I would never have thought in a million years he would have brought me one!
It comes in this lush leather box to keep it safe with a heat mat and strap. It also came with 3 head attachments.
A smoothing nozzle designed to dry and style your hair at the same time with gentle airflow preventing frizz
Styling Concentrator which is great for drying and styling your hair 1 section at a time.
Diffuser, this is great for you curly-haired angels! It helps to spread the air and heat around your curls reducing frizz!
First time using it!
Ok, so I was expecting a lot!! I had read a lot of reviews beforehand and even one said how amazing it was, I was skeptical. A hairdryer is a hairdryer, right?
I was so wrong, it was amazing it dried my hair crazy crazy fast! Like never before, to the point where It looked sleek and straight!
It felt silky and shiny and looked so much healthier. Normally I would look like a ball of straw-like frizz!
Super chuffed with it! Every time I have used it since I’ve been so pleasantly surprised with how it’s working.
Positives things I love about the Dyson Supersonic
• Has easily adjustable heat and pressure settings
• You can’t get your hair sucked up the back like normal hair dryers
• It is sooo light
• It drys my hair crazy fast
• The sleek look and feel
• All the heads are magnetic and clip on and off super easy
• Has a handy indicator to tell you when the filter needs a clean (not experienced that yet )
• Comes with a 2-year warranty
One negative and it’s nothing to do with the hairdryer itself but… the case it comes in, I wish it had room and space to keep all the heads in, they just don’t all fit. I have to store my defuser somewhere else and the two nozzles I do like just about squeeze in.
This hair dryer is like an investment for me… I’m hoping to spend less time drying my hair, fewer products repairing my hair from damage meaning fewer trips to my hairdresser (not that I went all that often ) more confidence as I’m finally happy with my hair after I wash, dry and style it!
I would recommend this to anyone! Especially if you’re like me!!
Fast forward around 5 years
I have been using this dryer religiously now and have noticed a dramatic change in the way my hair feels, it’s so much healthier.
Do you think the Dyson Super Sonic is worth the price tag?
The husband surprised me for our 5th wedding anniversary with the Air wrap, do you want a review on that? I would love to know
Shopping for children can be such a challenge, they have boxes full of toys that they don’t play with anymore and the thought of adding to the mess can be off-putting, but also the thought of them not having much to open isn’t the nicest feeling either!
We have all been there… panic buying! Who does that as a parent? I and my Husband certainly do and it’s the worst, we find ourselves spending more than we budgeted and the boys end up with stuff just to add to the number of gifts to open.
Planning and buying ahead is key we defiantly need to do this next year! Be that organised parent… well we can all try! If you are like us, super last min then I hope these 15 tips and ideas make choosing filler presents (the ones you just buy to have things to open) and thinking of gifts easier for your little ones when thinking about Birthday & Christmas.
1 Something they want
The big one, the gift they have been asking for.. well forever and your answer was, well you will have to put it on your birthday list or ask Santa! Yeah, that one!
2. Something they need
Do they need a new duvet set? Choose one with their favourite character on.
Maybe new football boots or anything sports-related. Something you know you would have brought them anyway but they would be excited opening that’s also practical.
3. Something to wear
An item of clothing you wouldn’t normally choose to buy, a top with their favourite character on? (eBay is great for this) dressing up clothes or some fun pjs. We don’t believe in kids getting clothes as gifts from their parents (of course if other people treat the boys to clothes we are grateful )we just choose not to unless it’s something they really don’t need and it’s a novelty item / if they have asked for it.
We do like to do new PJs on Birthday Eves and Christmas eve and then we buy them a nice new outfit for Birthday and Christmas day which they can unwrap.
4. Something to read
A magazine or some books you know they would like. Or a classic collection like the Roald Dahl set something you know they can grow into and will be a favourite for years, we brought Ethan the whole set of Roald Dahl for his first Christmas and we are slowly working through them. We also love David W books and managed to get a load for a bargain price from charity shops. You can get some great Magazine subscriptions. An electric reading device like a Kindle or Audible.
5. Something to get creative
You can never have enough stickers, pens, felt, pipe cleaners, fun paper etc why not do a fun little bundle start collecting bottle tops and cardboard boxes let them go wild with all the leftover wrapping paper and boxes from gifts.
6. Something different
A quirky random trinket! Something that they wouldn’t off asked for like a pointless gadget or joke gift from these little shops that pop up. Tiger is a great shop to get random trinkets in too along with Charity shops!
7. Something edible
Ingredients to bake something fun or some treats they wouldn’t normally be allowed! You can get great sets that are pre-packed so could do a little bundle of fun treats. A classic selection box or do a treat hamper!
8. Something educational
Educational but fun!! Booklets with tasks for them to complete. Educational posters for their bedroom. Books about something they may be interested in like planets, animals, history. A globe they can look at. Our boys love science bits like experiments and our Telescope.
9. Something to do
Grow your own herb garden, butterfly farm, sea monkeys kit, anything that’s exciting that will engage and get them thinking. Will also keep them busy and something to do that lasts over a few weeks. We have brought Liam the sea money kit! Wish us luck.
10. Something for School
New school bag or a spare lunch box in their favourite character, new stationery, pencil case or even a keyring for their bag.
11. Something for charity
Adopt a dog, plant a tree, it’s a great way to teach children to think about others. They will get things through the post reminding them and also should feel a sense of warmth and fuzzy for helping an animal or village.
12. Something to expand their skills/hobbies
Maybe a musical instrument or some knitting needles and wool. YouTube is a great place for videos on how to do things and they can teach themselves a new hobby.
13. Something for me
Something sentimental, or personal to them. Maybe a photo album, a key ring with their name on it. A jewellery box that’s personalised anything little that they can treasure. The boys love having a special little box to put their favourite things in they both keep it by their bed and it’s so sweet seeing what things are important to them like shells and small figures.
14. Something for the Family
A day trip out for the family? A DVD you will all enjoy, a board game you can all play! Something that means family time and spending time together! This is a perfect one if running low on funds as a day trip out could be the perfect IOU write a little letter or DIY voucher “day out bowling & pizza”
15. Something for the future
An item they can grow into, like a book or craft set that’s a little hard for them now but they would enjoy in 6 months. After the Birthday / Christmas hype has calmed down you will be grateful for that Present on a rainy day or school holiday! Maybe something like first, Trike, toolset or sewing machine that could be put aside ready for them.
I hope these tips gave you some ideas! Let me know how you get on!
I cannot quite believe we have been married for 5 years! The time has flown by, if you have known us for a while you may remember for our first wedding anniversary we went away and stayed in a cottage with a hot tub, well that’s exactly what we wanted to do for our 5th.
We searched high and low for Hot tub weekends away that weren’t too far from us in Coventry. The criteria we had was no more than an hour and a half away, must have a large electric square hot tub, none of those quarter things or the wooden plunge ones I’m seeing everywhere. Must have no one overlooking and in the middle of an open field so we feel secluded with great views. I don’t want any light pollution so we can see the stars.
We finally came across Heath Barn near Worchester and found them through Snap Trips but there hosted by Cottages.com
We booked it from the Friday – Sunday 2 nights costing us £345
Check-in was 3 pm but we arrived around 5 as Luke had to work Friday, the drive was so lush we could see the Malvern hills and loads of countryside.
When we arrived, the setting was beautiful Heath Barn is surrounded by sheep and you can see views of the Malvern hills.
The converted barn was the perfect space for the two of us, with a double bed, shower and kitchen. See my little video of our trip here.
Sadly the next part of this post is negative, I am always transparent and honest with you and would never recommend something without sharing our experience. We didn’t have the best experience with the host and the problems carried on after we got home.
We got to experience the Hot tub the first night but sadly the second night the hot tub had issues and wouldn’t work, of course, contacted the host and no one was around to help us when we asked for someone to come and help. Instead, we were asked to read manuals and try to work out what the error codes meant on the tub, we used google and all sorts to try and fix it (we both have 0 experience with hot tubs), meaning the main night, Saturday we had chosen to celebrate relaxing in the hot tub under the stars didn’t happen. Because of this I really wouldn’t recommend the Barn we have since tried to be in touch with the owners and have been ignored. I’ve also been in touch with Cottages.com and been ignored such a shame because they have a great location and barn. It was also advertised with WIFI which we were told a day or so before that this wasn’t the case. Check out was 9 am which on Sunday shops and places don’t open till past 10. Just a few negatives but you guys know I always like to be honest with you. If we didn’t have the issues, it’s a place I would definitely go back to from the setting. Things took a turn for the worst when I got home.. will explain in a little bit why.
Anyway, Heath Barn is about a 20 min drive from the centre of Worchester, we headed out to explore the streets, do a spot of shopping and visit the famous Cathedral which is free to enter a rare thing these days.
If you know me then you would know I have a fear of churches and cathedrals, but this one has a completely different vibe and is absolutely stunning, so I did well to get around the whole thing without freaking out.
Despite Saturday evening not going to plan we had a lovely time the two of us, the no internet thing meant we had a detox from our phones and just enjoyed being in each other’s company. We haven’t had us time like what in what feels like forever. We sat and listen to music and podcasts together and spent hours chatting with no disruptions. I am going to upload a reel of our time on Instagram because the place was stunning, so be sure to have a nose over on there.
Thank you for the lovely messages we received on our anniversary!
Here’s to the next 5 years and beyond
So when we got home, I started to become unwell with blisters forming in the back of my mouth, shortness of breath, fever and feeling really unwell. Ive had my tonsils taken out as a young adult and the pain was on par with the pains I had after surgery. Went to the doctors who said I had caught a severe case of a strep throat infection they think was caused by breathing in chemicals from the hot tub, what we think has happened is the host has put too much chlorine in the water that when heated up its evaporated into the steam which ive then inhaled. The blisters went right down my throat it hurt right down into my chest. Antibiotics weren’t working and in the second week as I was getting worse and worse, and not being able to eat I went back to the doctors who gave me 24 hours to improve or it would be a hospital trip with a drip.
This has now majorly put me off hot tubs, apparently you can get it from pools as well if you swallow water and the chlorine is high, who would have thought I could be so ill from steam and chlorine. I did smell overly strong which I now know for the future is a warning sign.
Anyway I’m slowly on the mend now, I have sores in the back of my throat and it’s still tender but nowhere near as bad as I was thankful, I have been warned it can creep back now that I’m off antibiotics so have everything crossed for me please that doesn’t happen.
Sorry to be so negative, but I said to you I would share our trip and I’m gutted it was ruined and now tainted with me being unwell, I’m just grateful to be feeling more myself. I will keep you updated if anyone gets back to me at the bottom of this blog!
Here are 12 useful tips to help you think of gifts for your other half, its often so hard choosing presents for someone you know who has everything, my husband is one of them… if he wants something he tends to buy it, so when it comes to gift buying I’m always so stuck as to know what to get. I use these little tips to help me when thinking of gifts. These would be perfect for both men and women! I hope they can help you too!
** Luke if your reading this, stop now babe! **
Something they will love
What’s the one thing you know they would absolutely love? Have a good think back to past conversations I’m sure there’s something they may have mentioned.
2. Something they need
Aftershave is always something my husband needs so finding a new one for him is on the list!
3. Something to wear
A new top or something to wear on the occasion day. Who doesn’t like a new outfit to wear? Slippers and dressing gowns, you can never go wrong!
4. Something they wouldn’t expect you to get
A risk presents something you think they would like but not 100% sure on. go for it I’m sure they would love the gift. Keep the receipt and ask for a gift receipt if paying in a shop. Worst comes to worst they can take it back, but at least the thought is there.
5. Something jokey / Quirky
Maybe something that links to an inside joke of yours, or something completely pointless! Gadget shops are great for this type of little stocking fillers. Maybe something useful but random like a portable phone speaker.
6. Something standard!
That item you know you can never go wrong with… for example it would be candles and stationery for me! Or the classic underwear and socks or body set!
7. Something sentimental
Canvas with a photo of the two of you, keyring, fridge magnet or a calendar with all your favourite photos on. something sweet and thought-full, they don’t need to cost a lot but are often some of the best gifts!
8. Something to eat
We’re all big kids at heart! A selection box or favourite chocolates will go down a treat! Why not do a treat hamper! See my hamper guide here for ideas.
9. Something to do
A day out or trip away! These are perfect if you’re running low on funds sort of like an IOU! You can plan to take them away or to a fancy restaurant. Make a cute little voucher and write a card explaining what you have planned!
10. Something personalised
Who doesn’t love a personalised item! You can make something sweet like a jar with notes full of reasons why you love them. You could get a phone case made with their pet or children on, anything personal to them I’m sure they will love. You can also get a lot of items these days monogrammed. A lush black scarf with their initials monogrammed on is a vibe.
11. Something for you both
Maybe that’s a household item like a new tablet or laptop. Something for the kitchen like a smoothie maker ready for the new year health fix. Something you can both enjoy together. Or if you’re not living together maybe something like a money box saying, “new home fund” – “Holiday Fund” take your relationship to the next level!
12. Something for their Skin
You can get some lovely skincare sets for men and women I personally love Clinique, they do some great trial sets that are normally around £5 perfect stocking fillers.
I hope you found this useful, let me know what you get your other halves!
It’s nearly been a year since we took the boys for a long weekend in Skegness, I wanted to share with you our time in more detail and why we have chosen to take them back again this year.
So go back to June 2021, myself and luke were looking for somewhere we could take the boys, in the UK without having to take them out of school.
Skegness came to mind, I’ve never been a fan of the classic tacky UK skeg Vegas vibes but I knew the kids were at that age where they would love it and Friday night to Sunday is the perfect amount of time.
I had a good nose at the accommodation, and we decided to go for a private host through booking.com, with us going in June it would be very hit or miss weather-wise so space for us to stay indoors if we had to was a must.
What drew us to this private property was that it would comfortably have the 4 of us stay, it was around the corner from Skegness Clock tower meaning it was in the perfect location to drive and park up with the boys. It also had a great kitchen dining area we could spend time in if the weather was pants which it was on the first evening, so we sat in and watched the world cup.
It was also handy that it had space for us to park our car along with a little outside courtyard style area for us to leave our shoes and wet towels etc and for the boys to run about.
Upon arriving the host was so lovely, she had done a welcome pack with some yummy treats and essentials for us and was on hand if ever we needed her. The beds were comfy and the kids were over the moon with how cosy it was.
Saturday Morning, we woke and the weather was dry! We took a trip to the local Morrisons about 5min drive and we had a Morrisons café breakfast before heading to Skegness Beach. The water was freezing but the sun was starting to come out and warm up. The boys loved paddling in the sea. We then nipped back got washed and changed and headed back out to enjoy the arcades and entertainment. There is so much to do, soft plays, arcades, mini-golf, bowling, little shops to explore and loads of food places, even a McDonalds with drive through smack bang in the centre of everything right on the beach.
We grabbed ice cream on the pier and had a good explore, the boys of course loved the arcades.
It got too late afternoon, and we jumped in the car and took a trip down to Ingoldmells about 15 mins down the road max, where they have Fantasy Island, Skeg Vegas. The vibe there is compliantly different to up by the clock tower.
Music blaring loads of teenagers and adults, fairground rides and of course the theme park and the big market. We wanted to see if they still had there Go karts from years and years ago (about 12 years before, I and Luke along with friends went to Skegness and he loved the go-karts there, the best place to go for karting) they were still there which blew my mind, so Luke had a good go on them.
We headed back home, and on the way stopped for a fish and chip dinner! Yum
After dinner it was late, but we wanted to head down to the quiet beach just next to where we wear staying. I’m so glad we did it was freezing, very windy but completely deserted we were the only ones there, the sea looked and sounded amazing the sun was setting and it was just lush. We took a kite down and it was perfect weather conditions for it. We ended the night by getting the kids a Mcflurry from the McDonalds drive-through.
The following morning was Father’s day which was so lush, we needed to check out but still had time to do cards and gifts, brought Luke breakfast in bed (pastries we had brought the day before from Morrisons) we then packed up and said goodbye to North Shore Lodge and headed over to Bowling by the pier. As it was early we had the place to ourselves, it was cheap compared to bowling local to us in Coventry we had a couple of games, spent some more time in Arcades grabbed some lunch and headed back home.
We had the loveliest little holiday and although Skegness really isn’t my vibe i think it’s important for the boys to experience and have fun at these sorts of places while there young. We got so lucky with the weather, the boys enjoyed it that much they keep asking to go back and we are again in June this year which they will be so excited about.
I really recommend the accommodation we stayed in, and the location in which we stayed, couldn’t of been more perfect.
Have you any holidays planned this year? I would love to know
Not my usual type of blog post but I’ve always said I would try to be more open and honest with my feelings, not everything is picture-perfect or how it may come across on social media, this isn’t a positive post and is a brain dump of emotions.
In true Steven Bartlet fashion…
“I hope nobody is listening but if you are then please keep this to yourself”
I’ve felt like a little lost soul recently if I’m being honest, it’s been a rollercoaster of emotions I can’t seem to get my head straight. Those close to me will know last year was a very tricky year in my personal life and health. We didn’t seem to catch a break. I have been putting all my energy into family and my Press on nail business that come Christmas I just crashed.
January came the fresh new year and all that and bam we caught Covid. Now, my main worst fear is germs and illness and those around me being unwell, so you can imagine how I felt when the whole world was one big giant germ!
During the whole pandemic, I was anxious every time we left the house, it was the fear of the unknown. We didn’t have a clue how Covid would affect us personally and with all the scaremongering on TV it was hard. I also opted to not have the jab, controversial I know….it was a double-ended sword, scared to get covid but then scared to get “protected” from covid.
So, when we caught it in January it was like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders, we were all ok. I’m so blessed and grateful that it wasn’t as bad for us as others had experienced. I felt a huge sense of freedom, the thing I had feared the most had been watered down. I’m aware we can get it again, but I hope you know what I’m saying and im coming across ok.
After covid I’m feeling great, we can go out and not stress as much, nails are going well and I start dressing up more for evenings out with the girls, then all my past weight and self-love issues get surfaced coming back bigger and stronger and the worst they have ever been. Having photos with friends I would normally post and share them; I couldn’t even stand to look at them putting a negative taint on the night
. Lockdown we were all in comfy clothes all the time, very little effort was made, routines were thrown out the window, and life felt like it came to a standstill. I am one of the weird ones who loved just being in our bubble, but makeup was not essential and “going out” clothes were put to the back of the wardrobe, comfy baggy clothes were life.
I’ve always loved the whole self-love curvy community and stand on social media, I just have never been able to embrace self-love with myself. I see other women who are curvy plus size and think they look beautiful but on myself I can embrace it, I went through a phase of just love and appreciate the body your in, but in reality, my body causes me a lot of pain and discomfort daily then when I look in the mirror it’s not like I’m happy with what I see back at me.
I don’t know If I’m coming across the right way.
I don’t love my body
So, if I don’t love myself how can anyone else. That is basically it in black and white.
For over 8 weeks now I have been working hard to get my weight and health better but doing this has made my internal health even worse the more I move the more I have complications. So I’ve been really sticking at a Calorie deficit and trying to take it very easy movement-wise. I’m very slowly losing weight.
You may remember I was counting calories back last year doing really well but then ended up putting myself in hospital for nearly a week from complications. Hopefully doing this long term as slow as it is it will make me feel better in myself, mentally and psychically.
Slow and Steady wins the race and all that.
So everything has stopped, I haven’t been working pretty much at all, I’ve been literally focusing on this new change of lifestyle, the kids always and trying to change this mindset and downward spiral I’ve been in. It’s helped having dad with his new pup around, definitely a distraction.
We have planned some lovely trips away, in the UK as I can’t trust my body to allow me to go anywhere else yet. I’ve got the mindset now, If im going to be poorly, doesn’t matter if I’m at home or by the coast just live and take each day at a time, literally every hour at a time and pack every essential.
I will get there; I will get out of this funk of just wanting to sleep all the time but then feeling there aren’t enough hours in the day and hating how unproductive I’ve been.
As I’m uploading this my health’s taken bad again which has knocked me with having to cancel work and plans, I will push through this!
Just bear with guys, I appreciate everyone who has noticed the silence and has messaged, I appreciate all my Nail girls for being so patient and understanding with me and to brands and blogging commitments for again being understanding.
Hope to be back to myself soon, but for now, if your feeling like me, know your not alone.
Itssaffb 