Win 3 Valentines Bibs From Funky Giraffe

Afternoon everyone. With valentines day fast approaching I’ve been offered the opportunity to offer readers the chance of getting their hands on some Funky Giraffe new Valentines bibs for their little ones. Two readers will be randomly drawn to win 3 bibs each so your little ones will look super funky this valentines day.

Here’s a little more about this adorable new line of dribble bibs and what Funky Giraffe are all about.

Baby accessories company Funky Giraffe have launched their latest exciting designs especially for Valentines Day! These cute baby dribble bibs start from just £2 and are the perfect gift for your loved one. Whether it be your baby’s first Valentines Day or just another excuse to make your baby look even more adorable, these bibs are a must have for Valentines Day.

Funky Giraffe was set up in 2009 by Yasmin Drury, having worked for a major retailer she was all too aware of the cost of production and the massive mark up charged by companies. As a mum herself, she knew what she wanted for her son and set out to produce funky designs at a reasonable price.

The current range includes
Bandana bibs (also known as Baby bibs) from £1.98
Personalised bandana bibs from £4
XL bandana bibs from £3
Playsuits/rompers from £7
Burp clothes from £4
Hats from £4

I was pleasantly surprised at just how fashionable yet low cost these bibs are. The online store have lots of fantastic designs on offer plus some amazing deals like 5 bibs for £11.

Compulsory: For your chance to be one of 2 winners winning 3 valentines bibs just leave a comment telling me your plans for this very special day.

For extra entries you can do the following…. (Leave a separate comment for each)

Tweet: I want to win valentines bibs with @Clairelouise82 & @FunkyGiraffeBibs adding the URL for this post.

Follow @FunkyGiraffeBibs on twitter

Follow @Clairelouise82 on twitter

Subscribe to this blog leaving a comment telling me the email address you have subscribed with.

Pin this competition on pinterest.

One additional entry is given for each action. One comment should also be left for each action taken.

The competition will close at midnight on the 5th Feb

Two winners will be drawn at random from all the entries submitted on the 6th Feb 2013 and will be notified by either tweet or email.

Terms and conditions… Competition is open to those in the UK Only! Entries not following the rules will not be entered into the final draw. Winners have 48hrs to responded with details. Prizes will be sent directly from Funky Giraffe. Entries entered after the closing date will not be submitted into the final draw. An email or twitter I’d must be left with your comment so I can contact you if you’re lucky enough to win.

Prize 2x winners will each win 3x Valentines Bibs

ThePrizeFinder – UK Competitions

Awards, Flu, Birthdays And Financial Relief

This weeks been a really mixed bag, one of those up and down weeks.

I’ve been feeling a tad crap and it would seem that something’s going about as the Little man has been off school most of the week. Though its not only him… His entire form group and teacher have also been hit with a bug. OK, its not as extreme as I first make it sound! There are only 3-4 children in little mans class so I guess it’s easy to all come down with a sickness bug at the same time.

This means I’ve pretty much had the little guy under my feet all week and what better opportunity to bang on about your birthday! Seriously, I can’t wait for it to be over! I’m losing hair over this.

Little man hasn’t been dealing with the bug all that well. Having a blocked nose causes all kinds of sensory triggers and his been freaking out about not being able to breath and suffocating inside his own head. Needless to say we’ve gone through a hell of a lot of Vicks this past week.

Having children off school sick isn’t meant to be an easy ride. It Just doesn’t help when you have so much to do. Today is the Mad blog Awards and having had a dress disaster I had to do an emergency shop yesterday! As many know, shopping with a child on the autism spectrum (especially for yourself) is never fun nor easy. So, not wanting to spread his virus to my fellow shoppers and obviously wanting to avoid a meltdown I called his father in for babysitting duties. Thankfully, after what felt like hours I found a dress. I now have my outfit from head to toe sorted and enjoyed last nights stress free evening.

I still can’t believe today is the day for the awards. I’ve had little chance to focus on the event… Hence the reason all my organisation skills have been a little delayed. This time last year (that for the record only feels like yesterday) I was dead excited by this point! In all honesty I haven’t had much chance to get this way this year and I’m only just beginning to feel the waves of excitement run through me.

I’m now really looking forward to tonight’s awards. I’m not staying at the hotel this year which feels a little strange. Myself and the children have a date with London Zoo early tomorrow morning. But what I’m really looking forward to most is meeting up with my fellow bloggers. It’s lovely to meet up with those you talk to almost daily via social media. Getting to see some of the bloggers I met at last years awards and other blogging events throughout the year is really exciting within itself.

Other news this week, Little mans DLA renewal has now been processed which means we shouldn’t have any gaps in the payments he receives. He has again been reward the high rate and its not up for renewal for another 5 years so no more form filling (for now anyway). The fact we don’t have to do any type of battle to get him what his entitled to is a huge relief (I feel that we’ve done enough fighting to last me a lifetime)!

So, that’s about it! A week full of illness, fashion dilemmas, awards and financial relief. Here’s hoping that Little man is fit and well this Monday when he will be celebrating his 12th birthday… At last!

#Joe Browns School Run Style Challenge

So I recently heard about a bloggers challenge and anybody who knows me will know that Claire Louise loves a challenge!

However this is not a challenge to drag my sons butt out of bed of a morning, nor is this a challenge to run around begging him to get dressed! Nope… It’s something else way more desirable than any of the above! This is a style challenge, one fit for a school run!

Now I hear you laughing, admittedly I don’t have time to slap my face on and raid my wardrobe for something stylish during the early morning! I spread far to much time sorting the children to get an opportunity! When your child has Aspergers Syndrome it tends to become something of a war zone in the mornings but believe it or not… Once upon a time, before the morning battles associated with weekdays, I did used to spend some proportion of the morning caring about my own appearance (not that I don’t care now that is)!

So hearing about the School run style challenge by Joe Brown in conjunction with Best British Bloggers, I got a tad excitable and dashed of to the Mac to read more about it!

Basically the aim of the game is to visit Joe Brown’s lovely online store and by using their online selection of clothing and accessories, create a style fit for the school run.

So, I did it! Here’s my creation.

Here’s what this mum came up with

The Lovely layered longline tannic with pretty rose print looks both comfy yet totally stylish. I love the shabby chic, vintage look this garment let’s off.

The above tanic is just crying out for a pair of must have jeans and these white must have basic jeans are a match made in heaven.They are a must have fashion item this summer and can be so easily dressed up or down.

As I like to coordinate from head to toe, I decided upon this very pretty cute little pumps. Boasting a very simple but pretty design I felt they worked perfectly with the floral tanic.

The Joe brown special bracelet is so simple and pretty. I love charms and this would set the outfit of nicely. I’m a massive fan of accessories as these can really help create the perfect outfit

A yummy mummy has to have a yummy necklace and I love this very unique flower pendent

And lastly I couldn’t have a completed outfit without…

Yes a decent pair of sunnies (I never said I’d be wearing makeup on the school run so these are great to hide the bags) and of cause a decent handbag (the fact this one comes with the statement scarf is just another added bonus)!

I’m pretty proud of the outfit I’ve created. I feel it’s shabby with a modern twist. Pretty vintage florals and skinnie pastels are simply the summer must have!

What do you think?

If you’re a parent blogger who wants to get involved then checkout the rules here. Otherwise feel free to pop over to the Joe Brown online store and check out what it has on offer! They currently have clearance items at fabulous prizes.

Disclaimer: This is my entry into the Joe Brown and Best British Bloggers School Run Style Challenge competition.

The SKEANIE shoe review and competition

As a mother to a growing toddler I know the importance of obtaining a good fitting shoe for my little monsters developing feet

So, when the guys at SKEANIE shoes contacted me asking if I’d like to review a pair of their beautiful shoes and run a competition (which I’ll come to in a bit) I was very willing to uptake the offer and put these much talked about shoes to the test.

SKEANIE shoes & boots are beautifully hand-crafted in the softest of leather (eco-leather). They have been specially designed to nurture and protect your little ones feet

SKEANIE shoes understand how delicate and soft our little ones feet are and how this therefore makes them more prone to damage from abnormal pressure caused by ill-fitting shoes

I read some really interesting information and facts on the SKEANIE’s website as well as discovering some really beautifully crafted shoes and boots, such as these trendy little loafers that I had to have for my 2 year old toddler, ‘Harley’

Yes, these are the business and very affordable at £34.99. Plus having used the printable sizing chart that SKEANIE’s provide on its website, these fit him perfectly.

Here’s what SKEANIE’s state…

“As well as providing room for natural growth, SKEANIE’s soft soled shoes allow sensory feedback from the ground, which is especially important for little ones learning to walk and getting to know their surroundings. Research shows that young ones who wear flat, soft soled shoes have improved proprioception, balance and foot and ankle strength”

I can honestly say that these shoes are incredibly soft and I’ve not heard a complaint from the toddler while wearing these (no rubbing or friction whatsoever)!

The quality of the shoe is fabulous, plus they are incredibly trendy too. Since Harley has been wearing these beautiful shoes I’ve received such lovely comments from others stating how lovely and smart they look.

Excuse the mop of hair lol

One of my favourite features is how the back of the shoe is elasticated which allows them to expand throughout the day. This is a fantastic feature because as many of you will already know our feet expand as the day wears on.

I just wished I knew about SKEANIE shoes years ago. My son with Aspergers who is now 11 years old used to has a real issue with shoes and socks for sensory reasons! Given the choice my son would rather walk bare foot up the street if given the chance, either this or for support he ties his laces so tight they almost cut of the blood supply. He was also a tip toe walker for a while during his toddler days, which hasn’t done his toes any favours! I think SKEANIE shoes would have been perfect for his needs.

So, there you have it! It seems that SKEANIE shoes have thought of everything when it comes to designing the perfect shoe for the littlest feet!

I think they are truly awesome and would recommend them highly.

Fancy giving SKEANIE shoes a try? Then your in luck as SKEANIE are offering “A boy with Aspergers” readers the chance to WIN a pair of their choice.

How to enter!

Compulsory actions: Like the SKEANIE Facebook page.

Visit the SKEANIE online store & Leave a blog comment telling me that you liked the facebook page and which pair of shoes you would like to win.

NOTE: SKEANIE Infant range is designed for babies from birth up to three years, while the junior range can be worn by children from six months and older (up to a size 28) Refer to the SKEANIE Sizing Chart for exact measurements.

Extra entries: Remember to leave a separate comment for each action taken.

Tweet: “I want to win a pair of SKEANIE shoes with @clairelouise82”

Use any of the share buttons below

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Give clairelouise82 a klout in blogging

Please leave an email or twitter handle so I can contact you in the event that you win.

Competition will be open for just one week so I suggest u all hurry 🙂

Closing date: 31st May 2012 (midnight)

T&C: UK only, all rules must be abided for entry to be valid. Contact must be left when entering and winner must respond within one week to claim there prize. For more info on terms and conditions please refer to the “PR and Disclaimer” section of this blog.

Disclaimer: I was not paid to write the review but did receive a sample pair of shoes as to provide my honest opinion. All views are that of my own.

Little Miss Fashion Designer

Well, it would seem that my daughter Alice-Sara fancies herself as a bit of a fashion designer.

When I was asked if any of the children would like to create their own T-shirt design Alice-Sara was first in line.

Yes, I had a vision of a somewhat messy home, what with fabric paint normally being the way forward. I couldn’t have been more wrong. All that was required was for Alice-Sara to draw her design on paper in which she coloured in felt tip pens as she normally would.

I couldn’t believe how very simple this whole design process was turning out to be! Having simply drawn her design on paper this was then scanned onto the computer and clothes2order done all the hard work so we didn’t have to!

Alice-Sara drew a really bold funky picture of what I’m told is a drawing of myself (seriously… I don’t wear that much lipstick in the flesh).

Clothes2order offer a huge choice of customisable products from great brands. We opted for a plain white T-Shirt in a size 9-10. This was from the well known brand fruit of the loom.

The company stock T-shirts in varying sizes from children’s tees to adults. Because Clothes2order have this huge range on site meaning nothing has to be ordered in and the fact all printing is done on site, makes the service an astoundingly quick one when it comes to dispatch & delivery times.

All customising can be done on line, this includes anything from uploading your design to entering text for added slogans or names. Whether ordering just one t-shirt or 100 (yes, there is no minimum order) this is done in minutes.

Certain product lines are available to order on express delivery but all products are dispatched in record time.

I absolutely love the finished t-shirt bearing my daughters creative drawing of her mummy caked in lipstick… In fact we all thought it was brilliant and now Little man has expressed an interest to possible try his hand at designing one too.

Designing you’re very own t-shirt Is a fab way of keeping the kids entertained and making their art
Into something that bit more special. I would recommend it to anyone.

This is a review post, though opinions are honest and that of my own. We received the t-shirt free of charge but was under no obligation to have to write about it.

Bags of style

My 9 year old daughter “Alice-Sara” reminds me a little of myself at her age. She loves nothing more than a creative project. Whether its customising something new or old, she loves to put her stamp on it!

That’s why I knew she’d really enjoy the creative challenge of designing and creating her very own handbag!

Note: Alice-Sara is also your typical fashion loving pre-teen, she’s very individual when it comes to style, which is something I really love.

This is why the My Clippy Bag kit was perfectly suited to my daughters needs.

My Clippy allows children to release some inner creative flare and create bags with style that are 100% unique to them. The great thing about designing and putting together your very own bag is that no two bags are ever the same and you can change your bags design whenever you like.

With the ‘My Clippy’ bag Alice-Sara was able to create a funky bold bag that was perfectly suited to her personality. It provided her with hours of fun and she was so proud of her finished bag it accompanied her to school on Friday for show and tell.

The My Clippy create your own bag kit consists of
Cool Art Papers
Lots of Templates (that double up as stencils)
Embossing Tool
My Clippy Cards
Design Station
Clear Silver Trim Clippy Bag (With 3 Clear Pockets)
Silver Bag Strap (clips on to bag)

Note: additional items are required! These are…
Scissors
Glue

Optional extras are
Glitter
Photographs
And anything else you may like to add.

How it works…

Place a Clippy card on the design station, now use the papers, embossing tool, templates and any optional extras to customise your card.

Templates can also be used to draw around, then you can cut out the shapes and layer these on your card with glue as to create a 3D effect.Templates can also be used as a stencil once removed.

Use the Embossing tool on the funky papers then cut out and stick to your card.

Add photos and customise with a paper boarder. The possibilities are endless… Raid your craft box for additional touches such as sticky gems or glitter glue to add some extra sparkle and some added WOW factor!

Once you have designed a total of three cards and these are fully dry, pop each in one of the three pockets of your Clippy Bag. Add the strap which is easily connected to the poppy buttons to wear the bag under your arm, or leave it off as to create the perfect clutch bag, makeup make or funky pencil case that is bound to impress the kids at school.

Make more cards and pick and choose different sets of Clippy cards for different occasions or as a fashion accessory for different outfits, making your Clippy Bag even more unique.

Alice-Sara really does love getting creative with her my Clippy Bag Kit and she’s already designed all her cards leaving us no choice but to create some more cards with the use of different coloured card cut to size (we just used one of the original Clippy cards as a template to draw around).

I’m a very crafty person meaning I have a cupboard full of glue and loads more additional craft bits and bobs. However, for the price I do feel a glue stick would be a good addition to this kit as I’m sure there are many parents who don’t have some at home sitting about (unlike scissors) which could prove disappointing to children, especially on occasions such as birthdays or Christmas (just like the all-too-familiar battery scenario)!

The My Clippy Bag Kit is priced at £14.99 and you can check out the My Clippy site to buy this direct. You can also visit the site to sign your child up to the My Clippy page for lots of creative fun and inspirational ideas.

This is a review post, all opinions are that of my own. I was not paid to write the review but was sent a sample of the product as to give my honest opinion

Wave it, Wear it, Win it…

I was recently sent one of the “Official Paralympics GB supporters Scarfs“ which has been designed by the UK retailer NEXT to show their support for London’s 2012 games.

The scarf comes in two sizes, either 90×90 cm costing you £10 or the size I was sent, 50×50 cm costing just a fiver. What’s more all proceeds (and I mean every single penny) goes to the British Olympic Association which aims to help British Olympic and Paralympics athletes deliver their best performance.

There are loads of ways you can use your scarf to show your support for the games and those athletes taking part! The larger 90×90 is a great option if you fancy getting super creative and wearing it as a unique fashion accessory. The smaller size is the perfect size to frame and hang on the wall, or maybe tie around a ponytail or around one wrist! It also makes an awesome gift as my dad can tell you. His a big sports fan and one who is looking forward to the 2012 games so this was the perfect gift for him and he loved it.

The design is fantastic, the hand painted Lion is a visual reflection of a quote that describes the sheer courage, talent and determination of our Great British Athletes. If you look closely you’ll also find 60 HANDS to symbolise the athletes’ sixty million supporters and the map of Great Britain.

If this isn’t your style, Next have also designed the “Official Team GB Scarf” available in the same sizes as above for that of the same money!

So, if supporting the 2012 games isn’t enough to make you rush out and buy a scarf, then how about the prospect of winning a prize? Next, want to see how you use your scarf to support the games…. Will you wear it, wave it or opt for something else altogether?

Here’s my dad getting creative with his…

YES IT REALLY WAS TO SMALL TO TIE AROUND THAT HEAD OF HIS BUT HIS HAPPY TO JUST WAVE IT FOR THE CAMERA:)

Thanks Dad

You can win some awesome prizes by joining in, just click here for more info

So , have you got your scarf yet?

Red Carpet Glam with Next

Now, I may be a mother to three children, one with additional needs, but I’m still a 29 year old woman with her own interest, memories and future dreams.

This week, I’ve been given an opportunity to relive some of those memories and here’s how!

Anybody who knows me, will know that I’m quite a girlie girl when it comes to fashion, I love high healed shoes and accessories are just as much my thing! As a small child, I’d love nothing more than pretending I was walking the catwalk, or even that of the red carpet! I’d slip on a pair of my mothers “10 sizes to big” stilettos and prance about practising my celeb walk and “Paps” smile. As I got that bit older, I’d find myself pouring over the latest magazines ticking the outfits I liked best! I guess I did my own type of “ Style diva Vs fashion disaster” thing, though I guess I still do this now! One of my all time favourite hobbies as a teenager was either drawing my own red carpet creations or creating my own from cutting taken from style magazines and catalogues!

So, when Next sent out an email, setting us bloggers a creative challenge to do just that (minus the cutting) I was totally gain!

You see, its February, a time for red carpet action! It may be somewhat freezing outside, yet this will not stop a host of celebs strutting their stuff on the red carpet when attending the famous Elle Style Awards next week and the fabulous UK retailer, ‘Next’ are the main sponsor’s for the event.

I love Next and as some of you already know, I’ve been helping them celebrate their new fitness range by the lovely Davina McCall, by sharing with readers, my journey to fitness. The new challenge set by Next was to create a look fit for this lavish red carpet event using items from within they’re clothing range… Oh yes… This was right up my street! Armed with a collection of images of some of last years stylish A listers, I was to recreate the look I loved most! This really was a blast back to my teenage years and I honestly had a ball pulling my chosen pieces together to create an outfit fit for the Elle Style Awards.

Ok, I’m no personal stylist by any means, but I do have a love of all things fashion and this would be something I’d totally enjoy so why not!

I quite honestly spent hours pouring over the next directory and that of the online site, there were so many pieces I loved, and I so wanted to add around 10 of my creations to this post. I finally narrowed it down and here’s what I came up with and why.

Wow, isn’t this a stunning look. It’s a beautiful dress and I love this fresh summers look that is also Red Carpet glam!

Here’s Mine

I actually didn’t know that Next were to create a range with Geri, I actually love the pieces in her collection, including this stunning Cream Floral Maxi dress £55, which I feel is beautiful for the day but equally dressed for the evening. I chose the following accessories to give this a red carpet edge: Geri Flower Feather Fascinator£26, Ivory Diamante embellished pashmina, Nude and rose gold plaited sandals £35

To give it something extra I chose…

Beautiful Geri gold plated and pink semi precious stone earrings £45, A stunning Silver Butterfly ring £35, & this bargain Butterfly Bangle pack  £12,

Now, yes, Celebs do spend thousands of pounds on their beauty regime, Next however have a range of fabulous items to help you “Fake It” plus this fab little clutch to carry the nights essentials.

Jean Paul Gaultier Classique Eue De Toilette 50ml £47, nude patent frame bag £12.50, Tweezerman mini Brow kit £24, Eylure Naturalite intense 140 lashes £5.00

Nip and Fab frown fix £10, Transformulas professional white teeth whitening £29, Makebelieve enhance radiant Illuminating concealer £15, Models own nail pastel pink £5

For the Guys…

Doesn’t he look a dish?

My recreation of the style can be seen below

Men’s silver piped slim fit suit jacket £75, Silver piped slim fit suit waistcoat £35, Silver piped slim fit suit trousers £35, White long sleeve shirt £22, Black Skinny tie £8

Click Here to view items on site

And these lovely smart grey formal slip on shoes below are just £25 (Bargain)!

Week one – Getting fit with Davina

Before I go any further, I must add that this post has no relevance to potty training, autism, the school run or anything else on such a scale! It’s simply about me, no one other than me! It’s me doing something for myself, something I feel I need do more of!

 Let me explain… Last week an email popped up in my inbox with some pretty exciting news! It was actually from those lovely people at the UK retailer ‘Next’ Informing me that I was one of the lucky ten bloggers chosen to test run the ‘Davina for Next’ workout & post workout range, while documenting my journey back to fitness!

 This my friends is god… It’s the big man in the sky giving me a much-needed kick up the backside!

 You see, I’ve always been a person who has loads of willpower, however, lately it’s flagging and although I know I want to get healthier and fitter (more the case, I need too) I’m just having issues finding my Mojo!

 For an ex dancer I’m slacking in the get up and go, which really isn’t great! ‘Next’ setting me this challenge to undertake has come at a perfect time, It means I’m forced to document my demons and therefore, face them!

 It’s also my hope that along the way, I will inspire other women to get up and join me.

 My first mission… to find lots of motivational tools! First we have the lovely ‘Davina for Next’ workout and post workout range, which I shared with you in a post I published at the end of December (Click here to read)

Next, invited me to select two items of clothing and a pair of their innovative footwear.

 It was a difficult decision but in the end I chose the lovely and extremely comfortable Davina Burnout T-shirt in black £18

 The Davina loose black joggers £25 (the word loose made me feel somewhat better )

 As for footwear my chosen shoe is yet to be delivered so, I’ll surprise you with these later on!

 Thankfully everything fits 🙂 and surprisingly there was no breathing in, still as lovely as these Items are, I’m hoping that in a few months time, they will no longer fit me, instead being too big in size (well, this is the plan)!

 The burnout Tee is comfortable, hangs well and in my opinion looks good and is great for workout or lounge wear.

 The joggers are also comfy which is what you want when you’re exercising.

 In addition to all the above, the items I choose look good, they don’t reveal my less pretty areas and I’d be more than happy to wear these down the gym (not that I’ve graced one for a while)

 So… I have my motivational workout wear, what else am I missing?

 A good dig through my CD collection unravelled some motivational dance albums! Every girl needs some good music to get her going!

 A rummage through the photo album unravelled the perfect motivational picture. This is me just 2 and a half years ago, before I fell pregnant with Harley!

Although I’m not massive now… a size 10-12, I’m not this toned!

GOD… I want my size 8 body back!

 The Picture is now the wall paper that graces my iPhone and the screen saver on my Mac… There is simply no escape!

 I also find myself pretty envious at the sight of Davina McCall flat washboard stomach! Maybe I should make her my screen saver too?

 Now, I just needed to work out where it is I’m going wrong, tough It don’t take a genius to figure it out!

 Eating at the wrong times

Skipping meals and snacking on crap

Drinking far too much Sugar-Free Redbull

Not enough sleep, leading to little motivation & psychical activity the following day.

 Ok… I’m pretty such I can fix 1-2 however, cutting out the Redbull is going to be a hard habit to kick! As for sleeping… when you’re 12-year-old on the autism spectrum doesn’t sleep, it becomes a little difficult to get a decent nights kip! Nonetheless, when he does sleep then I need to, instead of being this night owl who’s moody and unmotivated by day.

 I’ll also be doing a lot to improve my physical fitness! With this I’ve decided to buy Davina’s New DVD as well as a gym ball, when I go shopping on Friday! I’ll also be walking more, dancing for an hour a day (yes, like I used too) and going swimming once or twice a week.

 I’ll also be getting some inspiration from Davina herself!

So, I’ve decided to try (1) I’ll take Harley for a long walk in the woods (4) Go dancing with friends (its been a while) (5) walk my mum’s dog or at least walk with her (7) Little man aged 12 attends boxing training so I’ll be asking to borrow his skipping rope.

For this one, I’m doing (1) 20 squats while doing the house work (how hard can it be right)? (4) 20 sit ups as soon as I rise from my pit (now this is one that will be a challenge)! (6) get a gym ball (after all sitting doesn’t sound to hard)! (7) 20 crunches before bed (8) work out to the ‘Davina DVD’, though this wont be on my return from work, more like following a day running after my 3 monsters (though to call it anything other than work is crazy)!

Well, the DVD workout and sitting on a gym ball, will have to wait till Friday but I’m on a mission to start the others from the minute I hit the publish button on this post!

So… good-bye junk food

My days of Luvin it are officially over!

With all these lifestyle changes ahead of me I’ve had an idea!

 The best way of sticking to something is to offer a reward at the end of it (No, apart from the body to die for)! So,  if I hit all my targets at the end of this, I’m then going to reward myself this certificate for being the worlds sexiest mum! 🙂

I would also be happy to reward those lovely ladies joining me (well, the ones that are mum’s that is)! So here they are..

1. Jessie’s Crazy Kitchen
2. Nadine – X
3. Clairejustineoxox
4. Super amazing mum
5. Marisworld
6. Snugglebubby
7. Pret-a-Style
8. Mummy Mummy Mum
9. Mum of one

Now if that’s not an incentive ladies, I don’t know what is?

Related articles

• Davina for Next, working out in style (aspergersinfo.wordpress.com)
• Davina McCall: Biggest Loser hosts joins show’s contestants in toughest workout yet (thesun.co.uk)
• New Year, New You with Next and Davina McCall (fashion-mommy.com)
• Davina McCall’s Spring 2012 Collection for Next (lifeloveandlivingwithboys.wordpress.com)
• Davina McCall on Botox, love and no more kids (mirror.co.uk)

Back to school with Matalan

Some weeks back, I wrote a post giving some, ‘Back to school tips’ to fellow parents of children on the autism spectrum. One of these tips related to shopping and the common issues experienced when having to shop with a child on the autism spectrum. With these issues in mind, I made the suggestion of purchasing your, “Back to school necessities” online, and to do so within good time!

Well, I must admit, that I myself failed, “Yet Again” to follow my own advice. Last week I still had school shoes, lunch boxes, PE kits and more to buy!

Well, thank you Matalan for saving me from what may have been, a shopping nightmare! Little man has been known to have some almighty mid shop meltdowns and I didn’t fancy another!

Yes, the lovely people at Matalan sent me an email setting me a challenge. I’m pretty used to challenges, but in this case it was the welcomed type!

The Challenge

Matalan online sent me a £50 voucher,  all I had to do was spend it carefully, getting as much for my £50 as possible. Lastly, I was to share my bargains here with my readers!

No problem, I’m not only a mother but a woman who loves to shop!

Bring it on!!!

So,  from the comfort of my sofa, with no meltdowns, anxiety or tears, I went shopping at Matalans online store.

On loading the site, I discovered that there was a sale showcasing items from just £1, (Oh yes, that’s my type of sale)!

So, voucher at hand, here’s what I got…

1) Girls button shoes (Black) Price: £8

2) Boys black trainer (Black) Price: £7

3) Black slash design leggings, Sale Price: £1 (reduced from: £6)

4) Back to school wheel design lunch bag, Price: £5

5) Back to school wheel design drinks bottle, Price: £2

6) Girls red school cardigan, Price: £4.50

7) Grey baker boy girls hat, Price: £3

8) Red Pump bag, Price: £1.50

9) Black Velcro Plimsolls, Price: £2.50

10) Girls five pack of briefs, Price: £3.50

11) Girls Hooch studded biker boot, Sale Price: £3.75 (reduced from £15)

After having added all the above to my trolley, I discovered I still had £8.25 left to spend, and what with having already got all I needed, I decided to get…

12) 3 Price red pan non stick pan set, Sale Price: £5.50 (reduced from £22)

13) Non padded Balconette bra, Sale price: £2 (reduced from £6)

14) Daisy white D plus bra, Sale Price: £1 (reduced from £6)

Total £50.25

Ok, Ok, I went 25p over, though I think that’s good for me.

That’s 14 items listed there, didn’t I do well?

Red pump bag £1.50, black plimsolls £2.50 and 5pk of girls briefs £3.50

Girls Baker boy hat, £3

Left: Boys wheel design lunch bag £5 and right matching bottle £2 

Red girls Cardigan, £4.50  

Delivery

delivery was super fast, arriving at my door with a smile just two days after I placed the order. My delivery was free as part of the challenge, however, Matalan are offering all customers spending £40 or more a special delivery rate of just £2 for a limited time.

Exclusive

I also received an exclusive reward, ‘A boredom busting voucher booklet’ entitling me to a discount of 20% of at ‘Yellow Moon’ as well as lots of other offers to keep the kids smiling such as, Kids bowl free, kids go free to Merlin attractions, (Legoland, Chessington and more) 2 for one on visits to Merlin attractions and many more.To little man’s delight the boredom busting booklet also contain a 25% off City sightseeing bus tours (yep, we’re going next week).

I am unsure if the promotion is still active. To find out, or check for any other offers, check the Matalan site or the blog (URLs at the bottom of the page).

Sale

The Sale is currently still on and is offering some items at a massive 75% off  As you can see from the above, it hosts some great bargains!

For me my best buy has to be the Hooch boots that had a fabulous £11.25 saving. These will do Alice-Sara proud in the winter I’m sure! They look really well made, as-well as being bang on trend.

Leggings £1 (were £6) Girls biker boots by Hooch, £3.75 (were £15) 

The non stick pans, well, how can you resist a price like this? £5.50 is a steal.

Non-stick pans in Red, £5.50 (was £22) 

The two bras are a bargain at £6 each but getting them both for £3 is super, and was simply my little teat to me! (Sorry guys I haven’t posted a pic of these but you can check out the underwear range online)

We decided that the leggings were much to nice for PE and having only cost £1 we are very pleased with them.

Even the items not in the sale were a steal. Little man has problems with his fine motor skills, making laces a problem! His black trainers with velcro fastening are ideal and a great price too!

Girls Black button shoes, £8 

Boys black trainers, £7

Autumn range

I was sent some fantastic books showcasing the new women’s and homeware range for the Autumn. The books were super posh and came with CD-ROMs

It’s clear to see that Matalan’s have had a redesign and I was pretty  impressed and excited at what was on offer throughout both of these books.

Looks like its going to be a fantastic Autumn at Matalan this year.

to shop at Matalan just click HERE

Visit the Matalan sale Here or the blog HERE

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• Matalan’s Fab Autumn/Winter collection. (fashion-mommy.com)