Monthly Archives: January 2012

Show Her #WhatSheMeans To You This Valentines Day With Shea Mooti

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Have you ever wanted to send a special message to a loved one to show them what they mean to you? Shea Mooti has come up with a lovely idea which will allow you to show the world how much they mean to you this Valentines Day.

Shea Mooti is an ethical skincare specialist who create organic and natural skincare products that are aimed at Mother and Baby. Their products are made with Shea Butter and hand-picked natural ingredients which are safe to use on the most sensitive skin. I will be reviewing a couple of their products here soon but in the meantime I wanted to tell you all about the #WhatSheMeans campaign.

The #WhatSheMeans  campaign is designed to celebrate women of all ages (including babies) on the run up to Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day. The idea is that your loved one uploads a 30 second video clip to show the world #WhatSheMeans. They could indicate you are a perfect partner, a great mum, make fabulous meals, anything that shows how special you are.  The best clips will be taken and put into a heart-warming on-line tribute to women everywhere.

I think this is a lovely idea and I hope lots of people take part and a truly special video results from it.  You can view an example of the sort of thing they are looking for on You Tube.

If you want to submit a video you need to visit Shea Mooti on Facebook here https://www.facebook.com/Sheamooticlub?sk=wall and click on the #WhatSheMeans tab. If you do enter a clip you will receive a voucher which will give you 10% off any purchase from the Shea Mooti store.  I can’t wait to see the finished result.
For more information about Shea Mooti visit http://www.sheamooti.co.uk/

Dragon Hunting In the Rain

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Given the title of my blog it is about time I wrote something about dragons. This year is the Chinese Year of the Dragon and I thought it this was the perfect opportunity.  On Sunday we went Chinatown in the centre of Newcastle where the celebrations for Chinese New Year were taking place.  This is an event that happens every year but strangely enough we had never been before.  My son was keen to go as he had been learning about Chinese New Year in school and I thought it would be interesting so we went to catch a bus.

I will break here for a quick rant about the Sunday service on the buses. We had to wait over three quarters of an hour for a bus, it seemed the first one had come early and the next one was late so we missed the start of the dragon hunt. I was not impressed. We did manage to get to China Town just in time for the start of the procession of the dragon along the street.

My first impression was that it was very crowded and very noisy. As well as lots of  firecrackers going off there were lots of drums and cymbals making music that the dragon was dancing too.  We could hear the dragon but we could not see what was going on though the crowds.

My son was desperate to see what was going on and kept demanding I lift him up. I think that he forgets he is now eleven and nearly as big as me. I did my best to try and lift him but really I needed a crane for that job.  We worked out way though the crowds to try and get a sight of the dragon. I was holding on really tightly to my son’s hand as I was scared that I might lose him, but he seemed to be really enjoying pushing his way though the crowds.

It was quite good fun, the dragon would go to each restaurant and shop along the street, stop for a while and perform his dragon dance. I assume the dragon dance was to bring good luck and prosperity to each shop along the way.  We did manage to get quite a few glimpses of him but taking photographs was very difficult given that he was moving so fast. These are the couple of photos I managed to take where you can just see a little bit of him.

If you look by the two flags you can just see a little bit of the dragons ear.  The flags were used to indicate the procession of the dragon along the street and were placed on either side of the doorway when he danced. The people in yellow are playing the drums and cymbals.

The next shot is a little better, I managed to get a picture of his head.

I have to say we had a really fun afternoon chasing the dragon down the street, even though it was crowded and started pouring with rain. We will definitely go again next year but try and get there a bit earlier.

Other posts you may be interested in:

A trip to Beamish Museum

Getting Crafty with Dylon Fabric Dye

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Just before Christmas I was sent some of the Dylon craft range to try out. The craft range consists of fabric pens and paints which allow you to add a bit of glitz and glamour to your clothes or get crafty and create wonderous things.  I had plans to make some Christmas decorations with them but things got a little bit busy and I never had time. At the weekend I decided I was going to have a play and decided to have a go at decorating some plain white pillow cases and making them a little bit more fun.

These are the different paints I was sent.

As you can see there was a variety of different products, a green fabric pen, white fabric paint and red and green 3D glossy paint which looked very intriguing. Looking at the colours I had available I decided I was going to paint a red rose onto the pillow case.

I am not very artistic so I found a template to work from before I started. I printed this out and placed it under the pillowcase. It is also advised that you place some sort of backing underneath the working area so I used an old magazine. I suspect this is to prevent the dye leaking though the fabric and causing a mess on the work surface. It is worth looking at the different instructions on the pack before starting. Some of the paints you can leave to dry, but some need ironing to fix.  This may effect the order in which you use them so do plan ahead. All the instructions are really clear and easy to follow.

I started with the fabric pen as this needed to be ironed after application in order to fix it to the fabric.

I used it to draw the outline of the leaves and stalk onto the pillowcase. The pen was really easy to use, just like a big felt tip.  The nib is tapered so you can either do big wide strokes or fine detailed ones, depending what you are drawing. I was quite pleased with the result. The pen dried really quickly so after a quick iron I was onto the next stage.

At this point I used the 3D glossy pain to fill in the leaves.

This was easy to apply from the bottle and you could use the tip of the bottle for fine precision. The dye needs to be left to dry for four hours or overnight. When it is dry it has a glossy look and raised edges and looks really well.

The final step was to use the red 3D glossy paint to finish the rose.  This is how it turned out.

I was really pleased with the finished result and it has definitely brightened up my pillowcase. Dylon fabric dyes are a really simple way to brighten up clothes or add a touch of your own style to something and I shall try these again. I may even let my son try them on a white t-shirt as they are so easy to use. What do you think of my finished piece?

For more information:  http://www.dylon.co.uk/products.php?category=sub-category&alias=craft

Other reviews you may be interested in:  Snapfish – create personalised photo books and gifts

Fade Out White Anti Shadow Brightening Eye Cream Competition

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If you read my review of Fade Out White Anti Shadow Brightening Eye Cream here  you would probably like to try this yourself. The good news is five lucky readers will be able to win a set. So how do you win? It’s really easy. Leave me a comment and say if you could have a wonder cream to  fade something out of your life, what would it be? You can find Fade Out on facebook here You can also find the Fade Out Facebook page here http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Fade-Out/134469909993314 which may give you some ideas.

If you want an extra entry you can leave a comment on one of my other blog posts and nip back here and tell me where you commented.

The Rules

  •  UK only
  • Closing date for entries Monday 20th Feb 2012 at midnight
  • Include a valid email address (it will not been shown)
  • One entry per household
  • The winners will be contacted by email and their details used for delivery only and not kept for any other purpose
  • Five winners will be chosen at random from all valid entries.

Fade Out White Anti Shadow Brightening Eye Cream Review

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If you have been burning the candle at both ends recently, partying, or maybe you are just a stressed mum, you may be finding that you have dark circles under your eyes.  You find that you are looking a lot more like a giant panda than a person. This is really not a good look. It is normal because eyes have soft delicate skin underneath them and  can often be the first place that shows tiredness and fine lines and wrinkles. Knowing it is normal does not make it better but the good news is that now something can be done about it.

Fade Out White Anti Shadow Brightening Eye Cream is a tinted eye cream that is specially formulated to hide dark circles, even out the skin tone and hide imperfections.  It does with with light reflecting particles that will reduce the appearance of  fine lines .  It also contains Vitamin A which will help to reduce signs of aging, hydrate the skin and assist with collagen productions which will help make the skin appear firmer and reduce puffiness.

I was sent some of these cream to try out and to see what I thought. The cream itself comes in a really handy little tube and has instructions to apply morning and night.

I squeezed a little bit of the cream out the tube and was surprised to find that it has a slight pinkish tint. I am not sure why I was surprised because it does say it is tinted but I was expecting it to be white.

Fade out eye cream

I applied the cream to my eye area and I found that you did not need to use very much at all.  A little tiny bit has a great effect, you can really see it lightening the eye area and it might have been my imagination but I am sure I could feel a tingly tightening effect just after application.  After using for a week I am sure that the area around my eyes looks a lot better, less dark and wrinkly than it used to be. I really like this product, it does what it says it is going to do and it is not an excessive price either.

For more information: http://www.fadeout.com/products/eye-cream.aspx

RRP £8.99 for 15 ml

The Fade Out line up is available from Boots, Savers and Independent Pharmacies

You can also find the Fade Out Facebook page here http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Fade-Out/134469909993314
 and it is worth liking it for details about new products and also giveaways.

Other reviews you may be interested in:

Qsilica Revive Nutrient Boost Face and Neck Moisturiser

Bodhi Body Moisturisers

Andrew’s entry into the Appliances Online Cookers Yummy Food Competition

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The lovely Madhouse Family Reviews blog is running a competition in conjunction with Appliances Online Cookers. It is a drawing competition and your child needs to draw a picture of their favourite dinner and you have a chance to win £100 Amazon voucher.

I gave the task to my son to complete and I have to say it was a bit of a challenge. He is now eleven but he has issues with co-ordination and is convinced that he is not able to draw. The first two he came up with were scribbles, but I convinced him with a little bit of bribery that he was able to make a better effort and after some deliberation he did sit down with his pens and had a go.

This is the result:

It is fish, chips, peas and tomatoes. I am not entirely sure what type of fish is being served on that plate, it is not like any fish I have ever eaten.  I allowed him the artistic license as I so pleased to get a decent picture from him.  Hopefully it will encourage him to try more in the future.

The competition is open until the 6th Febuary 2012 so why not sit down with your kids this weekend and have a go?

Beat The January Blues

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I had been wondering about doing a post about the January blues for a while and then I saw that UKMums.TV had made it their blogging challenge for this month. The idea was to have a nice positive story to cheer us up and while this is not really in that category hopefully it will help to cheer us up.

T. S Elliot once said “April is the cruellest month”. Well if April is the cruellest month January has got to be the bleakest.  At the start of January we take down our Christmas decorations and the house that looked sparkly now reveals its flaws.  We realise have overspent at Christmas and are going to have to start counting the pennies. We have put on weight and our clothes feel uncomfortably tight. We can feel there is nothing to look forward to, Easter is a long way away and the excitement of Christmas has passed. You  have started the year with good intentions only to have them fall by the wayside and mock you.  You feel dull and grey, like the weather.

I am not a doctor and will not claim to be an expert but I have suffered from depression in the past. You feel that there is nothing worth getting up for in the morning and do not want to make the effort to eat or do anything. There is a heavy weight on your shoulders and you may just lie there listening to music of doom,  feel like bursting into tears at the slightest thing and totally lacking in motivation. It is not a nice feeling and you feel like you are alone. Do not let it get worse, do something about it. There is light at the end of the tunnel and you can make the change.

These are some of my suggestions to help you beat the January Blues. I hope they help. Remember though if you keep feeling low and can not snap out of it then visit your doctor. They will be able to help.

Think Positively

When you feel low this is really hard to do, a sense of despair hangs over your life. Accept that you feel low and do not feel good but you can change it. When you wake up try and think to yourself today is going to be a wonderful day. Tell yourself that today something good will happen. It is a small step but it will help.  You may feel low now but it will change, it is a feeling, it is transient and you can beat it.  Telling yourself this will help you to realise this and eventually you will find that days start to become wonderful again.  Look for the wonderful and you will start to see it, it could be a small thing like a spring flower to tell you the sun is on the way. Small things build into big things and soon you will find positivity is a way of life.

Get Moving

When you are feeling low you tend not to move much, but exercise can be very beneficial. Exercise releases endorphins into the brain which help reduce stress and make you feel better. The good news is that you do not need to exercise madly to feel the effects, even short amounts of exercise will help. Force yourself to get out and about. If you need to go to the shop walk instead of popping out in the car. Put on a CD and boogie on down while you do the housework. Sit in your chair and lift dumbells. You will feel better afterwards.

Watch Your Diet

When you are low you can either stop eating proper meals or start eating all the wrong foods. A lot of people turn to alcohol or chocolate as a solution but it isn’t. Try and eat healthy meals and not snack in between.  Plan what you are going to have and make sure you do not have anything else in that can tempt you. Overeating can be part of the problem so tackle it. If you are not eating properly you need to put yourself first and look after your body.

Tackle the Problems

We may be feeling low because of circumstance, maybe we have overspent and are in debt or maybe we have argued with other family members. Some circumstances can not be changed but many can. Get yourself a pen and pad and write down what you are worried about. Look at what you can change and make steps towards changing. You may need help to achieve some but it is possible. Putting your worries down in a concrete way allows you to realise that the problems may not be as bad as you thought and makes you feel you are doing something.  Use your problem solving skills to find a way to tackle them and get onto it.

Don’t let the feeling beat you, you felt happy before, you will feel happy again. Make the decision to do something about it and get the sun back into your life.


Alfie Jones And A Change Of Fortune by David Fuller

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Alfie Jones and a change of fortune is the first book by David Fuller and is aimed at kids aged eight to eleven, particularly football mad boys.  Alfie Jones is in fact a football mad boy himself and plays every week for the Kingsway Colts with his best friends. He loves the game but recently things at the club have changed. The elderly coach was taken ill and replaced by the father of another boy, Jasper, who is also Alfie’s arch rival and a nasty bully.  The old coach used to be fair, the new coach seems to think his son is perfect and everyone else on the team is useless. Alfie has found himself sitting on the substitutes bench for match after match and is thinking of leaving his beloved team.

On a visit to a fairground something happens to make Alfie change his mind. A mysterious fortune teller appears and tells him that if he stays with the Colts he will one day realise his dreams to become a professional footballer. Alfie is not sure how this will happen if he stays on the substitutes bench but he decides to give it a go. His first objective is to actually get a game.

The book is engaging and pulls you into the world of children’s football. The enthusiasm and hopes of the children is wonderfully portrayed and the descriptions of the matches make you feel like you are on the sidelines cheering on. The characters are thoroughly believable, Alfie is small but plucky and determined and you are very much on his side. His best friend Billy is supportive and on his side while Jasper and his dad are just plain nasty. The fortune teller Madame Zola adds a touch of mystery and magic, along with a few wind chimes. You also get insights into how the parents can struggle to take the children to matches due to the commitments of their other children and how they realise things are not fair but do not want to mention it to the coach.

Although I am not a kid or particularly football mad I found the book engrossing and wanted to know if Alfie managed to realise his dream. I loved the determination of Alfie, even though he was not getting a game he was going to practice hard and learn new skills rather than give up. This is a brilliant example for children today who often want everything handed to them on a plate. My son has picked up this book to read now and he is already enjoying it. As  with many boys these days it can be difficult to get them to read a book, but this one has all the right ingredients to appeal to reluctant readers.

This is the promised to be the first book in a series and I am really looking forward to find out what Alfie gets up to next!

For more information: http://www.alfie-jones.co.uk/

The book is available from Amazon  RRP £5.00

Other reviews you may be interested in:

Return to the Lost World by Steve Barlow and Steve Skidmore

Crazy Water Pickled Lemons by Diana Henry

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Crazy Water Pickled Lemons bookWhen I heard the title of this book I was intrigued and couldn’t wait to read more. It is a title that just demands to be read and I have to say it did not disappoint. The book is a recipe book that has a collection of dishes from the Mediterranean, North Africa and the Middle East. As well as being a recipe book it is also a journey which describes a passion and love for spices behind these dishes. It is a book that can be read at bedtime  as well as used to create gorgeous food. It is the perfect book to banish winter blues and take you onto an exotic exciting adventure to discover new tastes and flavours. The descriptive writing really makes you taste the dishes and you are enthused to try them out.

The book is divided into ten chapters and an Introduction. The chapters all deal with different ingredients and have wonderful exotic sounding names like “The Spice Trail”, which covers cardamom, chilli, cinnamon, cumin, ginger, coriander, pimeton and saffron or “Fruits of Longing” which covers figs, quinces, pomegranates and dates. Each chapter has an introduction to the types of food within it and then you launch into the recipes.

The recipes are easy to follow, set out with a list of ingredients and the method, but also a little introduction to the dish with hints for cooking it. You will often find a quote relevant to the ingredients being used on the page as well which all helps to make the dish become more real. The photos are gorgeous as well and show you how the dish should appear when it is finished.

The dishes have lovely names, like Moroccan Chicken with Tomatoes and Saffron-Honey Jam, Lavender, Orange and Almond Cake, Lemon and Basil Ice Cream and of course the Crazy Water and Pickled Lemons of the title.

I had to try out a recipe from this book and I was hard pressed to choose which one to try first. I decided to try Moroccan Chicken with Tomatoes and Saffron-Honey Jam as it looked really nice in the picture. I was a bit unsure how it would turn out as it was my first attempt at a recipe like this and I was worried that it might have been a bit too spicy. I have to say I was really pleased, my attempt did no look quite like the picture in the recipe book but it did look good.

I have to say it was really tasty as well, a lovely mix of spices I would not have tried before and a lovely warming recipe. I am really looking forward to cooking more recipes from this book.

For more information you can visit:

http://www.octopusbooks.co.uk/books/general/9781845336547/crazy-water-pickled-lemons/

RRP £15.99

Other reviews you may be interested in:

Leon: Baking and Puddings

The Biggest Loser Cookbook

My pick from Sarenza.co.uk

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Sarenza.co.uk describe themselves as “Your Ultimate Shoe Closet” and it is easy to see why. If you are looking for a pair of shoes you will not go wrong looking  here. There are all sorts of shoes to choose from, kids shoes, shoes for men and women of every style and brand you would ever want. Sarenza are currently looking for a new shoe ambassador and have asked us to tell them about which shoe we would pick from their website. This was a difficult challenge to say the least.

I am quite picky when it comes to shoes, I know what I like when I see it but it has to grab me and shout my name. I like shoes that look a bit different, I am a little bit of a rebel. Now I have hit my forties however I also like a little bit of comfort. I must admit I did stare longingly at the Iron Fist Society Suicide Heel for a while as this is a fabulous shoe with definite attitude but given the current weather I decided that I would have to go for a boot. It was a hard decision but in the end I chose these Blowfish Hamura boots

You may be wondering why I chose these boots from all the different boots on the site. Well firstly I love the look of these boots.  They have a rumply sort of chic about them which is enhanced further by the buckles and studs that appeal to my inner rock chick. From the front  you could easily be fooled into thinking these are normal black boots but when you get the full size view you see they are a lot more funky and have a definite attitude about them. The buckles add a touch of metal danger to the whole boot but then you realise they have a fluffy inner which brings a touch of comfort to the whole rebellion thing.

After all if you are going to rebel, why do it with cold feet? This inner furry lining will keep your feet warm when facing the dangers life throws at you, the snow, the rain, the ice. You can step out in confidence knowing your feet will be safe in these.  If you need to lead a rebellion you can do it in style with these on your feet or at the very least they will help you dream while stuck in your mundane life.

The sole is solid and sturdy, made from vulcanised rubber which should provide a decent grip when walking on slippery paths, ideal given the weather we have been having lately. These are definitely the perfect boots for me, practical but with a touch of the rebel. After all shoes are made to help you dream

For more information see:

http://www.sarenza.co.uk/blowfish-hamura-s774323-p0000042984