Month: November 2016


Nov
2016

Competitions: Tips and Tricks to earn ££££’s

categories: Money Saving

CompetitionsI have been entering competitions regularly for well over 6 years now. In that time I have won some fantastic prizes. This has included:

  • Samsung 46″ 3D Smart TV
  • An Ipad Mini
  • A Sony Smart Watch
  • GTEC Cordless hover
  • Jawbone Fitness Tracker
  • £500 of Make-up
  • £500 B&Q Gift Card
  • £200 Virgin Experience day Voucher
  • £100 Spa finder Voucher
  • 2x Smart Phones
  • Kindle
  • Toys Galore
  • Food and Food Hampers
  • Clothes
  • Various Electronics

I could go on forever, to be honest, I have forgotten half of the items I have won because there has been so many! I was once so close to winning a 5* All inclusive holiday to St.Lucia, but I was peeped to the post last minute, drats. However, that’s the way it is. You win some, you lose some!

I’m always described as being Lucky when I tell people what I have won. However, the reality is competitions are a numbers game and I make my own luck.… Read More


Nov
2016

Christmas Traditions – Dickensian Evening

categories: Christmas

dickensian

It’s that time of year and I am getting all gooey and Christmassy. I can feel it in the air and it makes me very excited. I’m going to be running a few post over the next few weeks relating to Christmas traditions. There is after all only 6 weeks to go!! I am kicking off with this post dedicated to the wonderful Dickensian Evening.

I have said on a few occasions that I feel lucky Living on the south coast for a number of reasons. One of those relates to Christmas and Dickensian Evening.  In East Sussex, we are surrounded by many quaint little villages nestled into the South Downs and one of those villages is Alfriston.  Luckily for me and the rest of Sussex, Alfiston holds the wonderful Dickensian evening every year just before Christmas, giving the place a great festive feel.

Although Alfriston is a little village it is warm and welcoming with a great community spirit.… Read More


Nov
2016

ERF – Rear Facing beyond Group 0+

categories: General

ERF - Extended Rear Facing

ERF – Extended Rear Facing

I’m not a parent who pushes their views onto other people, but I do like to provide people with information so they can make their own informed decisions when it comes to their children. Extended Rear Facing (ERF) is one of those subjects I feel very strongly about. Mainly because the UK has a culture of turning their babies forward facing as soon as they hit 9kg (or 15kg from the new i-Size regulation). This culture, combined with a lack of resource available on ERF, a market full of forward facing car seats and a lack of ERF seats, it is no surprise that most parents choose to turn their babies forward facing when they start outgrowing the first stage seat.

Did you know that ERF is 5x safer than forward facing? Many countries have a requirement by law that children remain Rearward facing until they are 5 years old!… Read More


Nov
2016

Bump Watch: Tiny Tuppen #2 Week 22

categories: Pregnancy

week 22

Another week has flown by, I feel I am beginning to feel like a broken record, somehow I have got to week 22 already. For those that have been following my bump watch, No I haven’t made any further progress getting organised, hey I have about 18 weeks! That’s looking back to say July, that’s aaaaaaages right? Oh Crumbs maybe not! Actually, I bought a packet of newborn nappies this week, there, progress, I’m getting there slowly! Anyway, there are far more pressing things to think about, Halloween is now over which can only mean one thing, Christmas planning!

Week 22

I think my hormones have been really messing me this week, I have been a little bit of an emotional wreck.  Getting upset over a few things like my cats health. To be honest, I will probably be upset whether pregnant or not, but I have gone from happy to crying in seconds, which must be my hormones.… Read More


Nov
2016

#MySundayPhoto – The Journey Ends

categories: General

The Journey Ends

#MySundayPhoto – The Journey Ends

This week I have been sharing our past experience having a baby with Plagiocephaly and his journey through corrective Helmet treatment. This is a topic that I hold close to my heart as it was a big part of our life during Finlay’s first year. Especially as there was and remains little advice and support from the NHS. Although many cases of the syndrome are only mild and self-correct, for the more severe cases this is often not true and help and advice is hard to come by. Often by the time you get the answers you need, it is too late to treat without the need of a corrective helmet. For some even this is too late.

Finlay was five and half months before I took matters into my own hands and contacted a private clinic. At this point, I didn’t even know what his condition was called.… Read More


Nov
2016

Living on a tight budget

categories: Money Saving

Living on a tight budget

I was reading an article a couple of days ago on the BBC about a predicted rise in inflation. My heart just sank. As a family, we live on a very tight budget. I guess we are what is known as the Middle classed squeezed. We both work, our salaries are nothing to shout about, they could be better but then again they could be worse! We can not apply for help as we just earn over the threshold, everything we pay for comes from our wages. There’s nothing to fall back on.

Living in the south has it advantages. It’s beautiful, but being on the commuter belt to London, everything is very expensive including housing. We don’t own a home, I doubt we could get a mortgage. If we could we have no deposit and no way to save for one. So we rent. The cost of renting is extortionate.… Read More


Nov
2016

Childcare Circles for Working Parents

categories: Nursery and School, Work Life Balance

childcare circlesA few days ago I was having a conversation about Childcare and working. This led on to the funding for 15 free hours for 3 and 4 year olds. Finlay goes to Nursery for 15 hours, in theory, you would think childcare would be quite cheap for us. After all, you get 15 hours free, right? Technically yes, but in reality not always. For starters, the funding is only for 38 weeks of the year. That’s fair enough, but still, you would think we would only pay for 14 weeks of nursery a year,our bill would be low.

Well, our Monthly nursery fee for 15 hours a week is between £150 and £200 a month. Between £1800 and £2400 a year! How can that be? The simple answer is nurseries can choose how to offer the hours. You will be lucky to find a nursery that lets you take the hours as and when.… Read More


Nov
2016

#wickedwednesdays – Sudocrem Monster

categories: General

#wickedwednesdays

Farewell #wickedwednesdays!

Today I am joining up with Emma from BrummyMummyof2, for her #wickedWednesdays Linky. Today I found out that this will be the last linky at least for the foreseeable future *SadFace*. What a great Linky, we often see the perfect shots of parenthood and not ‘reality’!! This Linky has been great,and although I haven’t always posted, I have had some great laughs.

I have decided to send of #WickedWedenedays with my first ever #WickedWednesdays shot and possibly one of my favourites of Finlay.

I don’t have much to say about this shot other than, Sitting quietly behind you is not always a good thing as I found out one summer’s day, preparing tea!!! ARGH!!! Sudocrem!!! I’m sure at somepoint, every parent gets a good Sudocrem shot!

Sig

brummymummyof2

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