My Epic Adventure

I’ve just discovered the MoneySupermarket competition and thought it would be cool to enter by telling you about my dream grand adventure.

Firstly, it would be a child free adventure, one I’d take with a friend in order to provide myself with some much needed respite.

There are many places on my too go list but I couldn’t presently think of a better place than the Swiss Alps. For my epic adventure, I choose Grindelwald Switzerland, the place of magnificent scenery, famous snow topped mountains, lush pastures and flower filled meadows.

I’m not into Skiing but Grindelwald has so much more to offer from scenic hikes, to husky rides, ice skating to sledding.

Yes, Grindelwald in Switzerland’s Alps offers its visitors both relaxation amongst beautiful surrounding and true epic adventure. Here’s how I’d make this trip the most memorable for the least amount of money.

Getting there…

Visitors can fly to either Geneva or Zurich and then use public transport (railway) to reach Grindelwald.

Getting About…

There is no need for car hire when staying at Grindelwald as the area has fantastic transport links. There is a good running train service, cablecars, chairlifts, gondolas, buses, trams and more with most forms of transport being very reasonably priced. You can even hire yourself an E-Bike for just an hour or a whole day if desired.

Where to stay.

Hotels ain’t cheap in this beautiful part of the Swiss Alps, however Hotels are not your only option. How about staying on a farm? Seriously you can sleep on the hay at a friendly Swiss farm amongst the goats and cattail. However if this isn’t your thing there are a number of really cheap stay hostels with prices from as little £21 pp pn. I discovered a great little hostel for £43 pn that is located right at the bottom of the famous mountain Eiger. Another really cheap way to visit the alps is by camping at one of its camper parks

photo credit

Dinning…

As opting for a self catering holiday normally works out a lot cheaper therefore providing me with more cash For the fun stuff. I could see myself enjoying lunch at one of the villages many cafes. The local shops also sell reasonably priced local produce,such a cheese meats and … Yes, Chocolate. I’d love to spend at least one night camping, toasting marshmallows on an open fire while tucking into some beautiful locally brought bread and cheese.

Photo Credit

Epic things i’d do while Visiting this magical place.

Photo Credit MySwitzerland.com

I would have to have a go at Trotti biking. I’d hike through beautiful scenic vistas and visit the nearby lakes and only once I’d reached 2,000 meters above sea level would I race on my Trotti bike back down the mountain on a 40 minute ride of my life through the stunning Swiss countryside. Trotti bikes are two wheel stand on electric scooters. Trotti biking is excellent fun and won’t break the bank with prices from CHF18-30

If visiting in the summer I’d have to try my hand at a hike. And where better than the Grosse Scheidegg mountain pass connecting Grindelwald and Meiringen. Its very much about the scenery and I have heard that on clear summer days there are spectacular views of Grindelwald, the Eiger and the Kleine Scheidegg. It can amount to 3+ hike but its also cost nothing, its free to take in such beauty .

Ice skating in Grindelwald town centre sounds like fun and doesn’t cost much either. The town also has a busy night life with bars and concerts. Like anywhere some bars are more expensive than others. I’d make it my mission to visit those with the best offers and happiest happy hours.

I’d take an amazing sightseeing trip on the Jungfrau cog railway (Ticket to the top of the world). The 50 minute journey takes you through underground tunnels and through beautiful mountain scenery. It includes a stop at Eigarward in the middle of Eigers North face allowing you to get up close through the observation windows. What’s more the trip takes you to the beautiful ice palace 1,000 square meter igloo surrounded by magnificent ice sculpture.The last stop is yet the best, the Aletsch Glacier (the largest in the Alps) a chance for me to snap some truly breathtaking pics for me to instagram. Ok, its not that cheap with tickets costing between CHF130-160 but with all the money I’ve saved on this holiday it wouldn’t be an issue.

To make this trip extra epic I’d just throw myself from the Glacier Gorge (with a bungee attached of course) plummeting 85m downwards towards the beautiful glacial meltwater river… Can you get more epic than that?

Here’s a video I found of a bungee jump from the Glacier on youtube.

Video credit to ClickClickBoom

Just by being sensible with your money it really can go a long way. Its simply about cutting back in some areas in order to get more benefit from others. Decide whats important to you and then budget efficiently allowing yourself to have an epic adventure while on holiday.

This is my entry into the MoneySupermarket Grand Adventure Bloggers competition.

Although I know its to late to nominate I put forward mumofthreeboys and superlucky

Homemade Vintage Christmas Gifts

Christmas is a really expensive time. There are so many gifts to buy which adds up to a considerable amount of money.

However, Not everything has to cost the earth. We Can actually give really special gifts In a cost-effective way.

It’s all about being creative and using your resources. Plus homemade gifts can be much more special. Its shows that you put thought into your gift and that means more than the price tag.

Here we have a simple upcycle gift that’s perfect for the lady who loves everything vintage and shabby chic.

Vintage inspired Jewellery stand made with vintage Queen Ann Tea set

Tea set brought from Auction as part of a huge box full of china for £3

First choose a selection of vintage style saucers and side plates these must descend in size (around 3 is good) you will also need a tea cup and 2 Miniature Glasses for example… Sherry glasses.

Other items you will need is a glue brush and some good strong Adhesive (I’m using Mosaic adhesive).

Make sure all your saucers, glasses and tea cup are clean. Also be sure to check your chosen china isn’t some vintage Antique find that’s worth a small fortune.

Right now to assemble your jewellery stand.

Step one… Start with the largest of your 3 plates and chose a glass. Stand your glass upside down and glue around the the bottom of your glass. Now carefully place your saucer/plate decorated side down, on top of the base of the glass being sure to place the base in the centre.

Be patient and hold firmly for a few minutes.

Wipe of any excess glue that may have come out from the sides of your glass onto your saucer.

Step two… Once you feel the plate is now strong enough stand up the right way so it looks as though the glass is just stood in the centre of your side plate. Now very carefully glue around the glasses rim and place your second plate that is smaller than your first on top of the glass. This time you are gluing the glass to the centre base of the plate. Again hold firmly and wipe of any excess glue.

Step 3… Once your plate is strong enough take your second glass and add the glue to the rim of the glass. Now place onto the centre of your plate. This can only be stuck to the decorated side of your plate. Hold and wipe of excess glue.

Step 4… Now glue the rim of the same glass and place the base of your smallest saucer on top.

Step 5… Lastly glue the base of your chosen tea cup and place it on top of your plates decorated side.

To finish add a pretty vintage gift tag tired with twine and dangle from the teacups handle.

Finished!

This blog post is an entry into the Tots100/Experience Days Christmas Craft Competition”

DINO – THE MONSTER FIGHTING DINOSUAR

Once upon a time, in a little town in London there lived a little boy called Harley.

Every night when Harley goes to bed he’d be joined by his best friend Dino the friendliest, spottiest Dinosaur in town.

Harley had once told his mummy that he didn’t want to go to bed as he was scared the monsters were coming.

Mummy went up stairs and searched all over his bedroom. She looked under his bed, in his wardrobe and behind the curtains…. But she couldn’t find a single monster anywhere.

Mummy explained to Harley that there was no monsters and told him that if he ever felt scared then he could give Dino a big hug! Dino would always protect him and keep him safe.

Dino is a big part of the family his the toddlers companion and a much loved one too. They play by day and sleep by night in each others loving arms.

Dino isn’t a scary dinosaur, his actually kind and gentle and if you ask nicely Harley may even let you pat him.

He does have sharp teeth but I assure you he does not bite. He eats lollipops and likes to watch peppa pig while wrapped in Harley’s duvet.

Whether its a trip to the park or supermarket Dino always comes too

Dino is so much more than a monster fighting Dinosaur! His a friend, family member and Incredibly soft and cuddly one too.

Thank you Dino for the smile you put on my little boys face… We love you.

This is my entry to the Warren Evens Who fights the Monster under your bed competition.

Our Dream Of A Sensory Room

When I saw the home makeover competition being run by Tots100 & ratedpeople.com I knew I had to enter it!

You see, the prize money of £2,500 to makeover a room in your house would enable us to do things that are currently far beyond our reach. My home is far from perfect, in fact its not in particularly good shape at all. I won’t even show you pictures of our half missing ceiling in the living room (yes its fell down twice almost killing us) and I’m still waiting for the second repair. However its not repairs for my living room that I have on my mind, nor is it the thought of a beautifully decorated home… No no! It’s actually the children’s rooms, especially that of the little mans.

It pains me to show you any pictures of my sons room. It’s horrid and its current state is not helping his sensory needs or that of his sleeping problems. But as I’m seriously struggling to pay for this room to be fixed up (on top of others) I feel I actually cannot afford to miss this opportunity and therefore must. Firstly let me explain some of our issues. We discovered his ceiling was actually made from Polystyrene which is a serious fire hazard so needed ripping down. Of course it was hiding something! His walls are also crumbling and the housing fixed the floor board by covering it up with rubbish hard board which has staples all over it.

Ok… I’m doing it I’m actually uploading the horror for the world to see…

Little man has Aspergers Syndrome with sensory processing difficulties within all areas of his senses. His also a very poor sleeper. For us this would be so much more than a nicely decorated 12 year old boys bedroom! It would be our sons sanctuary, a bedroom come sensory room! This is something that would make a significant difference In his life and that of ours, his family. I honestly believe it would improve his extremely poor sleeping pattern and therefore mend mine a little.

I have so many ideas when it comes to the creation of Little mans sensory room. It would be an environment that provides him with a very laid back, chilled out space. It would be filled with things to help relax him, therefore enhancing his moods, providing sensory stimulation and importantly a great nights sleep. We know sensory rooms are a key part of little mans school routine and we know such a space could change a lot of behaviours and difficulties. I’ve tried my best to make it as inviting as possible but in all honesty at the moment its a poorly used space that as you can see, isn’t fit for use… A few sensory lights are all he currently has to jazz. It up

Below are some of my ideas…

Colour: its very important for us to ensure little mans room is very visually inviting. Bright colours are something that form a big part of this vision.

Foam mats: Little man is really into WWE Wrestling at present and its a very intense (special) interest. This means that he is forever acting out the moves displayed by his favourite wrestler. He currently has no carpet and the noise is unbelievably loud. He throws himself around the room like crazy regardless of the hour (neighbours have actually felt the need to knock at 4 am). The mats would be perfect for his sensory room. He would be safer (less bumps and bruises) and our house may just stop vibrating giving us a pleasant relationship with the neighbours!

Teen style: Its important that regardless of little mans needs and that of his room having a sensory element to it, his room still has that stylish WOW factor about it. He is 12 years old and well on his way to becoming a teenage boy. He wants a room that don’t only provide sensory comfort but looks the part too! This is why I’ve chosen the super cool sliding door wardrobe, he would absolutely love this.

Mood Lighting: A massive part of any sensory room is its lighting.The lighting in the collage background above is LED night lighting which I know he would love. His a big fan of the lava lamp and the one above would fit perfectly. As you can see from both the above image and that of the one below, a variety of mood lighting is the key to the creation of a great sensory room.

Cool down area: With the addition off some cushions, bean bags and a little dim lighting you find you have created the perfect chill out space. What’s great about a sensory room is how you have the one room yet a number of different spaces within it. A sensory room is designed to be calming and inviting. But it can provide a space designed to stimulate the body and mind. The chill-out space in itself would be the ideal place to help little man shake of any stress or simply recover following a meltdown.

Hammock: The hammock would help little man with the difficulties he experiences due to his out of sync vestibular sense. This means that he often experiences poor body awareness (where his body is within space) A great way to describe this feeling would be to imagine what it feels when you go on a fairground ride that throws your body about in all directions, lifting your feet of the ground at speed or dropping you from a great hight. A hammock or swing would actually work as a therapeutic aid as well as a relaxing space.

The sensory curtain in the above picture is fantastic. Little man recently saw one like this at an expedition and instantly took to it! It’s a very tactile curtain and would be an ideal feature for his very own sensory room.

As for the bed, again i’ve taken into account his need for a stylish space as well as a sensory one. This bed is fantastic! It continues on the bight colour theme what with its striking green wood and very modern design. It’s also a great bed in terms of storage (something his room is currently lacking). I’ve also chose the funky tall unit with brightly coloured storage boxes to store all them wrestling figures and truck loads of Lego.

One of my favourite aspects of a sensory room is how tactile they can be. Little man is very tactile defensive and needs a lot of tactile input to help him adapt and improve his tactile sense. Given he loves Lego the idea of a Lego wall is a great one. It’s very tactile and will further enhance his imagination.

I’ve really enjoyed pulling my ideas together for this challenge. I’ve had them floating around in my head for the last few years and although certain elements have slightly changed (like chosen items and colours) the overall desire to create such a wonderful space remains very much the same.

As a self diagnosed pin head, pinterest is yet another place you can find more of my sensory and autism related boards! I’ve also created one especially for this competition. You can find it by clicking Here

So… There you have it… Our current dream of a sensory room and some very shabby existing interior.

Please note: If like myself you are wanting to create a sensory room, I recently discovered a post on a blog called PlayPennies on creating sensory rooms on a budget. Really worth a look.

Disclaimer: This post is my entry into the Tots100 and RatedPeople.com Home Decor Competition.

Be A Smart Shopper And Save Money

“I need to cut back on stuff for a bit. Just in till I’ve gotten myself back on my feet.”

“I’m just being careful with the pennies over the next few months to ensure I’ve got enough money for our family holiday!”

The two statements above are ones I’ve heard all too often. Would It be wrong to assume that those reading this have stated one of the above or at least something along them lines. If you haven’t then I’m impressed! Your smart!

You, see saving money should never be a short term goal! It should be a way of life, one that isn’t a chore to undertake. A depressive process that makes us feel restricted and starved of some of life’s pleasures. It should be easy, yet rewarding… Something we do without thinking about it. Bottom line is… Saving money should be a normality.

Changes may need making, though not all will need to be grand or life changing. In fact, we find its a collection of the smallest things that amount to the most significant savings.

Budget planning and careful documentation of finances has provided me with the proof that small changes, even if it means a few switch over of services, can actually amount to some long term substantial savings.

So., why listen to me? Admittedly I’m no well known money saving adviser! What I am is a mother to three children who is extra vigilant with her income.

My eldest son is on the autism spectrum and is registered disabled. I’m therefore his full time carer and this means that other than the benefits we we get including Carers Allowance, we have no other means.

I help other parents of children with autism to get the services they require whether it be educational or personal and do so on a voluntary basis. For this reason I’ve also got an extensive collection of tips and info on ways these families can save money and gain access to services. I’ve incorporated some of this information within this post.

Household Utilities

Energy Bills: If like myself you are on a Pre-pay meter for your gas, electric or even both, you maybe feeling a little ticked off with the constant need to top up your key or card. However, Not having unexpected bills or unpaid direct debits is appealing and was my motivation for opting for Pre-pay meter in the first place. Nonetheless, pre-pay may seem the safest option but in actual fact isn’t the most cost efficient.

Weigh up your options between Pre-Pay and Monthly billing to see what works best for you. Call or visit your service providers website for information and policies on switching from Pre-pay to billing!

Don’t be afraid to switch providers if you find a better deal elsewhere. Shopping around is always a must and should always be done before any signing on any dotted line.

If you find a better deal, give your current provider the chance to match this in order to keep your custom.

Important: Don’t act harshly! Wait till the end of November when all providers should have already updated new prices following any decisions to raise this winters energy prices.

In the meantime, keep bills lower by trying some of these quick tips…

Replace normal light bulbs with the long life energy efficient type.

Never live off your emergency credit. Usage is automatically more expensive per day. You will find that as soon as your on the emergency, electricity and gas is consumed at a much faster rate than if you were not.

If your not a home owner check with council, housing association or landlord if your able to apply for loft or wall cavity insulation. A number of energy suppliers are actually offering both its costumers and non costumers free loft and wall cavity insulation (links will be provide in reference section located at the bottom of the post).

Remember that the DWP automatically send cold whether payments to families on certain benefits such as disability living allowance. Payments are applicable when the weather is recorded to be an average of zero degrees Celsius over seven consecutive days.

The elderly, those with a disability (including a family member) or families caring for someone suffering from an illness may be able to receive greater discounts up to £130.00 from their suppliers under the home-care support programme.

The EDF energy trust, an independent charity can provide grants to low income families receiving certain benefits. (You must be a customer of one of their boards to apply.) The charities focus is on improving poverty by providing help in the way of grants to clear debts of gas and electricity as well as other household debts. The charity also provide grants to those in need of essential items such as appliances.

Mobile phone billing:

Those on contracts who don’t use all their data or call/text allowance should consider requesting that they change their call plan and therefore reduce the cost of their bill for the remainder of the contract. After all why pay for a service you are not using?

Those using iPhone or other smart phones should take advantage of certain apps available to them. Many Apps allow you to send text and multi media to fellow app users. This does only work with an Internet connection but if you use your wifi it does practically make it free saving you a fair bit of money.

Sometimes however, its just better to opt for pay as you go. Most mobile providers offer great deals and bundles such as bolt Ons and family and friends (call certain family and friends who’s numbers you have registered on your plan, free of charge). Basically by opting for pay as you go you can only use your phone when its topped up therefore avoiding any huge scary phone bills.

Sometimes you will find that your mobile provider offers services for home phone and broadband and vis-vesa. They will usually be happy to give you a quote. Given that you are an existing costumer to one of their services, discounts are offered and are usually very good. This really worked out well for me and made the accounts so much easier to manage.

Say No to 0870 is a great website that searches for alternatives to high cost numbers such as 0870 & 0845 by listing their equivalent geographical number. Using this site has saved me a fortune.

Shopping:

Food and daily essentials…
If possible shop online! Don’t stay loyal to one retailer/supermarket but instead be sure to go with the one offering you the best deals. Many offer huge discounts for first time shoppers and I’ve had fun trying them all out.

Be sure to search for the best deals via a comparison website. Also check out one of the many voucher code sites or apps where you can find some fantastic voucher and promo codes that could greatly reduce your shopping bill.

Be sure to take advantage of store loyalty cards and those odd money off coupons you took from the mornings newspaper.

Try to buy certain products in bulk, especially if you find an discount or offer being run on a product you use on a regular bases. Bulk buying may cost more at the time but will certainly save you money in the weeks to follow.

Shopping for other items such as clothing, toys, homewear, electrics and more….

Again scan the Internet for all the latest discounts and introductory offers. Big costly items should be fully researched via review sites, blogs and forums. This way you have a better idea about the product and may even change your mind for an alternative. Be sure to have covered every corner of the web before committing to payment of your purchase.There is nothing worse than later discovering that fabulous deal you missed out on.

Be sure to use a reputable comparison site to find the best price available. Always read T&C before committing to a transaction. This will highlight any hidden extras and charges before you hand over your money.

If your also a bit of a giver you can also donate to a chosen charity without actually sending a penny extra. Just use a platform such as the one provided by ‘Give as you live‘ to enter your chosen store.The greater your spend on an item the more taken from the final sale price and donated to your chosen charity. What’s great is its free, your not spending more than you planned yet your still able to feel good about yourself.

I myself am a huge bargain hunter and love a good charity shop. Other places you may find a good quality homeware, clothing and more include… Jumble sales, bootfairs, high street and online sales, eBay, clothes swapping sites and best of all freecycle. Everything added to the site is free to local collectors. I’ve had some amazing items from vintage lighting to my garden fence.

What’s important here is not to rush into any big purchase decisions! Explore all options and buy with confidence. Also remember that sometimes the more expensive products are cheaper in the long run. It may be more expensive but may last longer and therefore provide better value for money.

Travel – Train, Coach etc…

I’m off to bristol this Saturday with my 10 year old daughter her best friend and my mum. Trying to get the best fare didn’t exactly go as smoothly as I’d first hoped and I quickly discovered the horrifying prices attached to rail travel (even that of advance tickets). After lots of ramaging and much online reading I started to get wiser as I began to discover how to play the travel provider at their own game.

Firstly the earlier you book the better (12 weeks is recommended for best priced tickets)

Use a fare finder like the trainline or red spotted hanky. You can get anything up to 80% discounted from your fare.

It’s great if your flexible as you will often be shown cheaper options for one maybe two dates either side of the original date you had opted for.

Split ticketing. Basically find out the stops on your trains route and then try splitting the fare but not the travel. You simple search for return tickets to the station normally around half way to your destination. Then again search for returns from the halfway mark to the final destination. For some its cut the fare down by half. You end up with double the tickets but the journey remains the exact same… Just ensure the train does stop at the halfway mark to make it work. You don’t even need to get off the train.

Remember sometimes its cheaper to get two singles as opposed to a returned ticket. Apps like the red spotted hanky will show you the best option out of the two.

If you travel on the train a lot as a family or with friends I’ve discovered it’s much better to buy a family and friends rail card for around £26.00 per year. This will get adults up to 30% of their travel and 60% off the child price when you travel together. Family and friends rail cards can even be used in conjunction with most reduced price ticketing and promotions therefore saving you a significant amount of money.

Note: If you are caring for a family member with a disability you can get them to apply for a disability pass from their local council which entitles them to free travel in and around london.

For longer journeys its worth looking at a disabled person railcard which cost £20 for the year and entitles the person with the disability plus an adult companion upto 30% each of their travel.

Family Days Out…

If you and the family are planing a day out which requires you to use the train, london southeastern run all year round offers that give you 2 for 1 entrance at many top attractions if travelling by train.

Families consisting of Pre-school children should consider visiting attractions on certain days around term time. These dates are always cheaper and many attractions offer special price packages for families with toddlers.

If planning a family trip to an attraction during term times advance booking online and collection of tickets at the gate often results in reduced prices.

If you visit attractions more than once per year many places offer annual family passes. In most cases you can buy these at a good reduced price if purchasing on a day you’ve already been visiting the attraction. However this means you have to buy them before leaving the park when many families feel they have simply spent enough.

Always check prices for children with disabilities. These will often come under concessions and many places offer a reduced ticket rate for carers.

Most cinemas are part of a programme that entails a carer of a disabled person who is buying a cinema ticket, a complementary ticket free of charge. Those with disabilities must have a CEA card which cost around £5 and can be ordered online.

Now, I could go on and on all night. After all we haven’t even touched on insurance policies, banking and more. But I guess I’ll have to save this for another time.

Below you will find a reference section with links to some of the services I’ve mentioned above. If any families of a disabled child are reading this please look out for a post I will be publishing later on in the week. This will provide a list of some charitable organisations providing assistance to families of children with certain disabilities and special needs.

REFERENCE SECTION

SMART PHONE APPS TO SAVE YOU MONEY… If you have a smart phone be smart and use it to save money.

WhatsApp: Free messenger (iTunes price 69p) Send text, picture, audio & video. Twitter handle @WhatsApp

IUU: Free Messenger free to download.

Text Me!: Free texting of SMS and IM style messages. Free to download.

Energy bills

Cold Weather payments from Direct Gov

Warm-Home Discount Scheme info on Direct Gov

British Gas Free loft and wall cavity insulation

The EDF energy trust (charitable trust)

Travel Savings

National Rail railcards (RailCards)
Disabled persons Railcard
The Trainline (cheap fare search)
Red Spotted Hanky (cheap fare search)

Voucher Code Sites

vouchercodes.co.uk
moneysavingexpert.com
Savoo
vouchercloud.com

Comparison Sites
USwitch
price runner
MoneySupermarket

This post is my entry into Savoo UKs smartest shopper competition. The prize is for £10,000 a new money saving blog.

Capture The Colour Competition

I love expressing myself, my ideas and the things I love through pictures. I’m no David Bailey by any means but still gain great enjoyment as I capture images of anything and everything that draws the direction of my eye. A visual reminder of something or someone special, unique art spray painted across a South London wall, the weird and the wonderful, the pretty pink sky to an old cobbled street in Greece. All a moment captured in time, a tiny piece and glimpse of the past captured forever more. Each moment so different but as meaningful and wonderful as the next.

I love photography, it’s a way to build up a memorable profile of family life. I love the thought of this profile of memories being passed down through the generations still to come.

Another little hobby of mine is comping (I’m pretty new to it and finding it a little addictive)! Its not just any competitions I’m interested in but mostly those that require some sort of creativity of some sort. So, as you can imagine, when bringing the two elements that are Photography and creative competitions together, I’m never to far behind. This particular post is just that, my entry into a new and exciting photo competition one I’ve been keen to enter for weeks (only life gets in my way)! The competition is hosted by the well known brand and online site “Travel supermarket” and it goes by the title Capture The Colour Competition“. It’s a competition requiring a little creativity, imagination and that of a steady hand.

TravelSupermarket’s ‘Capture the Colour Competition’ is aimed at bloggers who will need to choose 5 pictures they have taken to match 5 different colour categories which are Red, Blue, Green, Yellow and White. Bloggers are then required to post the images and a little info relating to each, onto their blog (linking to the competition). Once complete bloggers Nominate five more bloggers to participate. Prizes are awarded for each colour as well as over all prizes given to an overall winner. There are iPads and travel vouchers up for grabs. You don’t need to wait to be tagged to enter. Check out their site for more info.

Red: MONKEY BUSINESS

Now I’ve chosen this particular image as its one I really do love. Monkeys are a fabulous subject to photograph, they are such beautiful and intelligent creatures who never fail to amaze me. This may seem a strange choice for the colour ‘Red’ especially given that ‘green’ looks more fitting. Nonetheless, I feel that it is the small delicate hints and touches of reflecting red tones that give this image an extra special edge. Image was taken last year during at day out with the children at London Zoo.

Blue: A DRESS TO IMPRESS

What can I say other than I’m only human. A woman who’s only crime is her love for shopping. Blue Is one of my favourite colours as there are so many different shades of blue that seem to suit my fair complexion. Besides the colour black it’s the colour you’ll find me wearing whether it’s my clothing or that of my accessories. That’s why it only seems right to opt for blue when shopping for evening dresses and it was these two stunning dresses battling it out for my affection. I finally opted for the first one and wore to an awards bash with pride.

White: PICK UP A PENGUIN

I love this image which once again seems a strange choice for the colour category I’m pairing it too. For some reason this just felt right. The penguin is beautiful and I remember how its beauty captivated me… Seriously, this is one of many penguin images I’ve taken. Others include some awesome underwater and feeding shoots.

Green: WINTER WONDERLAND

A shoot taken on a freezing winters afternoon. This was taken on a day that time stood still, allowing me to spend time with my beautiful daughter. Alice-Sara is the sibling to a child on the autism spectrum meaning there are days she finds things difficult (its not easy as my daughter could tell you)! Sadly my time seems so unfairly spread leaving her longing a for little attention. We had a lovely afternoon making angels in the snow. Her green striped jumper looks bold and vibrant amongst the sparkling white blanket of snow, that completely covered the park we were visiting.

Yellow: OCEAN WONDERS

This was taken a few years back when I first brought my canon camera. I was dead proud of this shoot and although I’ve got better at taking pictures overtime, its still this one I wish to included! I remember longing to show it off and now here’s my opportunity.

So there you have it, my 5 colour inspired images of random adventures.

Now to tag 5 others (I apologise if you’ve been tagged already)

1) Mummybird
2) Diary of a teenage mum
3) Mum of three boys
4) Always Be a Friend
5) Cakes Photo Life

Festival boho hair with Osis

You know me, I love a good competition especially a creative one.

I also love a good festival and I have a number line up to visit this summer, including the lollibop & that of the wilderness, hence why this competition was perfect for me.

All I had to do was design the perfect festival hair style and Alice-Sara was more than willing to be my mini model.

For me good festival hair is a style that’s pretty but messy. It’s girly boho waves that don’t look like you tried to hard.

Another great aspect that makes perfect festival hair is the accessories used to dress it up. You should be able to use different accessories to create a number of different looks without actually having to restyle the hair at all. Don’t forget many festivals last an entire weekend and hair should look great each day your there.

This is what I’ve tried to demonstrate in my entry. I’ve created one simple style and dressed it up with different accessories to create a number of different looks to see you through an entire weekends festival.

The style: Pretty messy loose boho waves.

My daughter has very long hair so I brushed and separated the hair into sections with clips and grips. I then used heated tongs to curl the hair doing small sections at a time until the entire head was complete.

Alice-Sara has beautiful thick hair so I took some of the hair from the back and pinned this slightly higher as to create a waterfall effect.

I then used small purple flowers attached to twisty wire and placed randomly within the hair.

Lastly I used a flower and ribbon head piece to give it a real enchanted boho pixie effect and of course a pretty dress and pair of pixie wings to match.

Note… This style is perfect for younger festival goers, yet drop the outfit and you also have the perfect festival hair regardless of age.

As you can tell from the photos a bit of face paint, glitter and a few gems gives the look a really funky boho look.

Now as promised, without having to restyle the hair I created some other festival looks with the use of accessories alone.

By removing the flower headpiece and those pretty flowers placed randomly within the hair, I then replaced with a sparkly scarf tired around the middle of the head. Now you have yourself a really cool relaxed hippy chick look.

Then by removing the scarf and adding a cute butterfly headpiece you get this relaxed boho festival look…

It’s easy to dress your festival hair up to take it from day to night, why not dress your curls ready for a masked ball.

Or add a flashing light hair clip to the front of your hair, your guaranteed not to be missed

Now how to create the look. Curl hair before arriving at you destination even if camping your not going to find a plug socket at a festival. There are many products you can use but how about trying the new Schwarzopf Osis range.

Wash hair the day before, curls take better when hair hasn’t just been washed. For perfect boho curls work in some Osis Curl me soft £11.05 then get curling with some heated tongs. This will give fantastic curl definition without stuffiness.

Once complete use some Osis Dust it £12.95 worked into hands and applied to the ends of the hair to creat that perfect messy vibe with a non-greasy finish. Your curls will look beautiful and shimmering gorgeous.

Just to make sure the whole thing remains in place, spray some Osis formation freeze £9.25 over your bouncy boho curls for maximum hold and effect.

This post is my entry into the Osis competition

Get creative with a box of Kellogg’s Rice Krispies

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day but now it can also be the most fun.

I was recently sent a big box of Rice Krispies, only this box was slightly different from those you usually see on the shelves down at your local supermarket.

The difference is These boxes are customisable… Yes, your child can really put their own stamp on their cereal.

There are 8 different special colouring packs of Rice Krispies available. Here’s ours designed by my daughter Alice-Sara age 9.

Look at the concentration on her face… An artist at work.

Alice-Sara uses many different colours, stamps, glitter glue and stick-on gems to design her ideal Rice Krispies box.

Alice-Sara really expressed her creative flare with the use of her magical imagination.

Colouring in the Kellogg’s Rice Krispies box was loads of fun and Alice-Sara is pretty proud of her creation… And why not, I think she did a brilliant job.

Special colour me in boxes of Kellogg’s are Available to buy from all good supermarkets. Plus the guys from Kellogg’s Have created its very own Rice Krispies website sharing some super creative ideas to keep your little ones busy this summer, you can even download some pictures of the Rice Krispies crew for them to colour. However, If colouring isn’t their thing then why not try your hand at making one of the fab summer recipes with your Rice Krispies! Check out the cute mouse treats below.

This post is our entry for the BritMums #ColourMeInRK competition, sponsored by Kellogg’s.

Thanks to both Britmums and Kellogg’s for running a great competition.
K
Disclaimer: We were not paid to write this post but did receive a box of colour me in Kellogg’s Rice Krispies and a selection of colouring pens and pencils.

Top Three Tips To Get You’re Kids To Sleep

My top three tips for “Getting your child to sleep”

 Well, my eldest is on the autism spectrum, his a poor sleeper as many of you know, so I guess you’re wondering what tips I can possibly give?

 The following tips don’t always work for my son with Aspergers, though they do work for my youngest Harley (most of the time).

 Tip One: No heavy food for a least 2 hours before bed. Harley has a sensitive stomach, plus he needs time to burn it off, which brings me to my next tip…

 Tip Two: This actually works for my Little man too (aka A boy with Aspergers) mainly during the summer months! A good jump on the trampoline a half hour or so before bed, tends to unleash all that built up energy, meaning your little ones are more relaxed and worn out when it comes to bedtime.

 Tip 3: Harley & Alice-Sara like a story, though this is always done in the bedroom, under the covers with the night-light on following a warm beaker of milk. Little man loves a story too, though he listens to his via a story audio CD, which seems to either soothe him to sleep or bore him to it (either one, I’m not sure)!

Image via Wikipedia

The following tips have been given as an entry into the baby budgeting www. time4sleep.co.uk competition

A Holiday Worth Remembering

There was no beautiful crystal blue waters laid beside a bed of golden-yellow sand! Instead there was muddy fields, trees & a lake! 

 There was no all-inclusive 5 star resort, a room with a sea view, instead there were tents, lots and lots of tents, all with a view of the portable loo’s. 

 As you may have guessed already, this wasn’t a holiday in the exotic Maldives or even a week in Spain, this was a Friday-Monday break in “Sunny” Oxfordshire England. 

 I’d be lying if I stated this was my favourite holiday, yet this is one I feel worthy of a write-up, one that showed me that a good family holiday didn’t have to mean an all-inclusive package dream holiday! 

 We couldn’t afford a family holiday in the summer of 2011 and I was grateful to have won the opportunity to have a weekend away with my children. Yes, I worried how the non structured holiday would sit with the Little man (aka A boy with Aspergers) but despite some ups and downs we had a pretty amazing time. 

 We arrived quite late on a Friday night having gotten lost a number of times down what seemed to be the same country lane! We found a great spot on the ground amongst a hundred other tents and tried to pitch what was to become our home for the next 3 nights! I say “tried” as we were still trying to pitch this thing some 2 hours later and almost took to sleeping under the stars when some jolly campers helped us out. 

 Little man and his sister embraced the whole camping experience pretty well, with little man sleeping better than he actually ever has (maybe it was the fresh air or the sheer exhaustion of it all, who knows)!The Wilderness festival: Little man places his wish on the tree, Alice with her face painted, Little man looks on at some wacky insects and right the beautiful lake.  

 By morning I started to see the experience in a whole new light! There was no swimming pool but instead we swam in the beautiful natural lakes under an array of slopping willow trees, I even swim under a beautiful star lite sky. 

 There was no hotel bar but instead we had open log fires with bars that resembled mini beach huts, to dance amongst the deers and trees was a totally awesome experience.

 We didn’t slip on our sandals and stroll along the beach, instead we wiggled into wellies and strolled along the river bank in the early mornings sunlight that shone between the cracks of the branches of the tall trees of the wilderness. To say it was beautiful would be an understatement!The beautiful lake, Little man has his face painted and his delight at his reflection. Alice runs in the Wilderness. 

 I sat and watched my son get his face painted for the first time, a huge step for the child with sensory sensitivity! Was it the magic of the Wilderness, who knows? I know that the smile on his face when looking in the mirror will stay with me forever!

Little man becomes Little tiger! Alice-Sara and Little man love the Little Alien & a magical tunnel in the Wilderness secret garden

  My children enjoyed boat trips along the river and strawberry picking in the near by fields that surrounded the Wilderness, we took them on long drives to neighbouring villages and stood by watching the wild horses race in the huge green fields. Yes, this may not have been an exotic break away, there was not a glimpse of blue sea and I swear it even rained on one of the days we were away, yet this was a holiday that taught me that holiday’s are what you make them. Yes, we do hope that this year we will visit some place that bit warmer, but we will never forget the holiday in the Oxfordshire Wilderness, for it was simply a holiday that is…and always will be worth remembering!

Above: Alice in a wig and hat, Alice with flowers in her hair & bottom Alice and Little man enjoying the festival.

This post has been posted as an entry into the Tots100/Al Fresco Holidays competition, as well as a link to the Al Fresco website http://www.thomsonalfresco.co.uk/