Father's Day Giveaway - Win Covert Dog Tags from Gumigem

23:29 Pippa Ainsworth 0 Comments

In the run up to Father's Day I will be bringing you a few posts with gift suggestions for your little people to treat their daddies with.

Gumigem, who make and sell fantastic teething jewellery for mums, also have a range of teething dog tags for dads and I'm delighted to be able to offer a set for one of my lucky readers.

Gumigem Dog Tags Covert
The Gumigem dog tags are available in five different colours - Commander (black), Marine (blue), Trooper (grey), Covert (khaki - as pictured) and even GI Jane (bright pink and great for mums who might fancy a different look). The dog tags are supplied on a long cotton cord with a breakaway clasp.It is possible to cut down the length of the cord and re-tie the clasp to your preferred length. They are available on the Gumigem website where they currently retail for £12:95.

I have one set of the pictured dog tags to give away to one of my readers. To enter please complete the Rafflecopter below.

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
ThePrizeFinder - UK Competitions

Polarn O.Pyret Spring/Summer Collection - A Review

23:42 Pippa Ainsworth 0 Comments

I'm a Mummy with very firm ideas on what I like my children to wear. I won't bore you with my 'rules' but, once I find a brand that I like I stick with it. One of my 'go to' brands for bright, colourful children's clothes is  Polarn O.Pyret. I find this Swedish brand to tick every box as far as design, quality and functionality is concerned.

Polarn O.Pyret pride themselves on making good looking clothing which makes life easier. They try to make the best examples of each item of clothing they sell, offering truly unisex items putting function, fit and versatility above gender stereotyping. I especially love that they offer effective layers and realise that some children run hot (like mine), whereas others feel the cold and will need the warmth of an extra base layer. They have a stated aim to provide clothing that can be handed down, from brother to sister, withstanding wear and tear. I'm continuously passing on clothes to my nephews that Bud grows out of as so little of it is truly unisex so there isn't any point in keeping it for Little Miss. We obviously need to buy more Polarn O.Pyret so I can save all Bud's clothes for her!

Recently Polarn O.Pyret sent Bud and Little Miss some items from their Spring/Summer collection to try out.  We received the Creatures Short Sleeve All in One Pyjamas for Little Miss and the Happy Days T-Shirt and Jean Shorts for Bud.

The Pyjamas have been wonderful for Little Miss. They are soft and comfortable, made from 95% Organic Cotton, with short sleeves and legs, perfect for Summer sleepwear. They have a bright and colourful butterfly print with a strawberry red leg and sleeves trim. I like that the sleepsuit has poppers all the way down the suit which makes it easy to put it on. The round neckline is very comfortable too and the seams are really soft against her delicate skin.

Polarn O.Pyret Creatures Sleepsuit Baby Girl Red Butterflies Short Pyjamas Organic Cotton

Bud was sent a full outfit for the summer. A funky t-shirt and some jean shorts. Jean shorts are a staple in Bud's summer wardrobe and I love the versatility they offer. I do sometimes find them quite heavy and warm and uncomfortable around the waistline. The Polarn O.Pyret version couldn't be further away from this. They are made from cotton instead of denim so give the appearance of jeans but without the heaviness. They fall to just below the knee and the shorts are shaped at the knee (pre-bent) for extra comfort. I love the adjustable button waist as I often find that trousers and shorts which fit Bud in length are too big on the waist.  Having a fully adjustable waist usually means that they will fit well and, in the case of shorts, you can often get two Summers' wear from them as you adjust the waist and the leg length just gets a little shorter.  

The t-shirt is a really bright turquoise colour with various words for happy in a square pattern on the front. I'm known in my family for my loathing of slogan t-shirts as I really dislike so many of those available for boys. I really don't want to put a t-shirt saying 'little monster' or 'here comes trouble' on my little boy! I much prefer this sort of slogan, happiness is a message we could all spread more. Again the t-shirt is 100% cotton so really breathable and cool for Summer. The colour is a lovely shade of turquoise which would work equally well for a boy or a girl. I'll definitely be keeping this one (and the shorts) for Little Miss to grow into. 

Polarn O.Pyret Shorts and T-shirt Small Boy

I'm so pleased with all of the items we were sent and I know Polarn O.Pyret is a brand that we will return to time and time again. The clothes are more expensive than the supermarket pieces we tend to buy most of the time but I do think the quality of these clothes makes them worth the money. I tend to choose items for Bud that I know Little Miss will be able to wear in the future as I know that they will last well, and I'll be able to pass them on after she has worn them too. 

We've had our items a little while now and all have washed beautifully. I'm just hoping that the weather improves significantly so we can really make the most of them. 

I will be hosting an exciting competition with Polarn O.Pyret in June so check back, or sign up for email updates (top right) to make sure you don't miss out.

Disclaimer: We were sent these items for the purpose of this review and all thoughts and opinions are honest and unbiased. 

Wednesday's Wardrobe

Monday 22/4/13 - Sunday 28/4/13, Photos 173-179 of Project 365

22:06 Pippa Ainsworth 0 Comments

Monday 22/4/13 - Sunday 28/4/13, Photos 173-179 of Project 365

Monday #173 'Cupcakes' - Bud has been keen on baking lately so we got to work making orange spiced cupcakes today. This was a kit left over from Christmas and he really enjoyed the mixing, and eating the results!

Tuesday #174 'Hand in Hand' - We were out for a walk with my Brother and his family and Bud was holding hands with his cousin. They looked so sweet running along together.

Wednesday #175 'Planting' - Bud loves helping his Daddy in the garden and is very excited whenever the tools come out. They did some planting after work today. The only difficulty Bud has is in a little patience waiting for things to grow.

Thursday #176 'Yum' - Little Miss is really enjoying weaning. She loves trying out all the new flavours I have been introducing to her. We've had some pouches for review and this was a new one that we were trying out today.

Friday #177 'Gloom' - Bud went to play with his cousins today so Little Miss and I went for a walk. The sky was a really interesting mix of blue with gloomy, grey storm clouds.

Saturday #178 'Titanic' - We had a family day out in Liverpool today. Bud loves all the museums and adores a dressing up box. I took this in the Titanic exhibition at the Merseyside Maritime Museum where he created this interesting mixture of sailor and first class lady.

Sunday #179 'Afternoon Nap' - We've had a really busy weekend and Bud and his Daddy crashed out on the sofa this afternoon. They looked so sweet curled up together. 

TheBoyandMe's 365 Linky

Welcome to the Tefal Innovation Panel

22:44 Pippa Ainsworth 0 Comments

A few weeks ago I applied to join the Tefal Innovation Panel which was being launched in partnership with the Mumsnet Bloggers Network assuming I'd never be chosen but crossing my fingers in the hope that I would be. Imagine my surprise when, during our visit to Kiddicare Aintree a few weeks ago, I got a message inviting me to join the panel with a rather exciting request to join them in Windsor for the day.

Tefal Innovation Panel Member
Last Thursday Little Miss and I got up very early to get the 7am train to London and on to Windsor to attend a meeting at the headquarters of Groupe SEB, the parent company of Tefal UK. We had the pleasure of travelling with Tina and lovely Syd from The Mother Geek who, as well as being excellent company, also helped me to have the confidence to navigate the London Underground with a pram!

On arrival we were welcomed by the team and introduced to the company with a very interesting presentation. Groupe SEB is the parent company for Tefal, Rowenta and Krups and has its global headquarters in France. The company has a long history dating back over a century and pioneered non-stick technology when Marc Grégoire a frustrated fisherman wanted to make sure his line didn't snag when reeling in a fish. His wife was intrigued by the reel coating he developed and wondered if it would work on her pans and non-stick cookware was born. They also took us on a trip down memory lane with a look at some of their old advertising campaigns, including the Scientists.

Following this introduction we were taken through to the amazing  kitchen where we were treated to four demonstrations of the Tefal range.

First was Linencare. Now, let's get something straight here. I don't iron. I can iron but I hate it so we tend to hang up a lot of things while they are damp in the hope that the creases drop out by themselves. I really thought nothing about an iron could get me excited. How wrong I was. The brand manager, Chetana Raj treated us to a demo of the steam generator irons and I was amazed! The irons do look rather space age but the steam that they generate cuts ironing time in half and makes ironing hassle free. I was sold as a few of my fellow bloggers (including other ironing deniers like myself) took to the board and made very short work of the sample garments available for us to try out.

Tefal Linencare Demonstration Steam Generator Iron Ironing Laundry GV8431

Next we were shown Tefal's range of cookware. This is probably the area I was most familiar with, I even own a couple of items already. Stefan Kaczmarczyk talked us through the range and showed us the unique Thermospot that was added to frying pans in 2000. Contrary to popular belief this doesn't glow when it reaches the ideal temperature of 190°C but instead the concentric lines vanish and the spot turns red. He also discussed the exacting standards of their partnership with Jamie Oliver and showed us a pan that the chef rejected fourteen times before agreeing on the fifteenth version. He uses Tefal ranges in his cookery programmes and won't put his name to anything that isn't right. Stefan cooked an egg without oil in one of their pans with excellent results. The non-stick technology really does live up to its name. We were also shown how easy it is to clean burned milk off the non-stick coating. Quite handy for me as I often burn things!

Tefal Cookware Demonstration Non Stick Pans

The Actifry demonstration was next. I was quite excited to see this as I've heard really great things about these appliances but was yet to see one in operation. I thought that the Actifry was, essentially, a replacement for deep fat fryer and just good for food that you would normally cook in these. André Silva was quick to explain that the Actifry is so much more than that. In addition to chips you can cook casseroles, stir fries, curries, desserts and more. The Actifry is the UK's number one small appliance and uses a unique paddle to stir the ingredients while cooking and ensure that everything cooks evenly. André explained that he uses his Actifry everyday and doesn't actually own an oven! Tefal have just launched the Actifry 2-in-1 which allows you to cook two different dishes at the same time - great for chicken and chips!

Tefal Actifry Demonstration Air Fryer

The final product shown was one I had investigated when I was reading up on Tefal prior to our day with them - the Fresh Express. Let me explain something, I hate grating cheese and I hate chopping onions. I do one or the other almost every day. Just imagine if there was a device which meant that I didn't have to do it? This is where the Fresh Express comes in. Maria Montero showed us the UK's number one food preparation product. It works brilliantly with different cones for grating, slicing and grinding. It can grate cheese or slice an onion in seconds! Seriously, every kitchen should have one.

Tefal Fresh Express Demonstration Food Preparation

Following the demos we were treated to a very healthy lunch featuring dishes that had been made using the appliances while we were being shown them. Just fantastic! The marinaded chicken and homemade coleslaw were terrific and showed the capabilities of the Actifry and Fresh Express really effectively.

Baby girl buffet food

Tefal have launched a new campaign called Fresh Week which is asking families to give up processed food for the week commencing 13th May. If you make your pledge on their website you will have the chance to win a Fresh Express and a Riverford Organic Fruit and Veg Box to help you achieve it. I've made my pledge and I'd love it if you would consider doing the same. I'll be posting about Fresh Week again nearer the time.
Tefal Fresh Week 2013
I'm delighted to say that I have received a Tefal Actifry, Steam Generator Iron and Fresh Express Max to try out at home and I will be sharing my thoughts on all of these very soon. We also brought home a 21cm Tefal Frying Pan and a One Egg Wonder, both of which have transformed the way I use a frying pan! The One Egg Wonder has me frying eggs which was previously just a job for Red Rose Daddy.

I'd like to thank Tefal for making us so very welcome in Windsor and I'm really looking forward to working with them over the next year.

Look out for the posts from my fellow panellists - The Mother Geek, Seasider in the City, Crazy with Twins,  Mum in the Madhouse, Boo, Roo and Tigger Too. Madame GourmandRecipe Junkie, Romanian Mum, Jacintaz3, Emmy's Mummy and Attachment Mummy

Disclaimer: We were invited to spend the day with Tefal and our expenses were covered. We received the Actifty, Iron and Goodie Bag as gifts. All opinions are honest and unbiased. 


Design a Swimsuit to Win with Myleene Klass and Littlewoods

18:51 Pippa Ainsworth 0 Comments

Myleene Klass has teamed up with Littlewoods to design a new swimwear range for 2013 which can be found in the Littlewoods Holiday Shop. To celebrate this launch Littlewoods have launched an amazing competition to win a family holiday to Barbados!

To enter the competition simply head over to the Littlewoods Facebook page, make sure you 'like' it and then have a go at designing your very own swimsuit. The app will take you through each step of the design process and you can swap and change until you are happy with your final result. It's really easy to use and lots of fun. I've been having a play with it today and this is the swimsuit I came up with. You can even add accessories for the perfect beach look.

Myleene Klass Littlewoods Holiday Swimsuit Competition

Littlewoods and Myleene Klass will choose a winner after the closing date of 31st May and the winner and their family (two adults and two children under twelve) will be flown to the Bougainvillea Beach Resort in Barbados for a fabulous seven night half-board holiday  where they will be able to make the most of the resort's facilities from spa treatments to watersports to kids clubs with time, of course, to enjoy the sun, see and white sandy beaches next to the Caribbean Sea. The winning design will also be included in the 2014 Littlewoods collection, a great opportunity for a budding fashion designer!

Full terms and conditions are available on the Facebook page.

Brought to you in collaboration with Littlewoods.

#HealthySnackChat Round Up

23:18 Pippa Ainsworth 0 Comments

Today I hosted a Twitter Party with three other bloggers which aimed to discuss healthy snacks for children. We more than succeeded and the conversation flowed freely. We trended within fifteen minutes and stayed within the top three on my UK trends for the rest of the hour. At times it was quite amusing as we were trending as #HealthySnackChat right above #Suarez, which, of course, refers to Luis Suarez biting Branislav Ivanovic at the weekend. I can confirm that footballers do not make a decent snack and it isn't too healthy either!

The lovely people at Cult Content have produced a summary of the content using Storify which recounts the party much better than a quick blog post ever could.

We had some terrific suggestions, like freezing softer fruits to offer a different texture, or dipping dried banana into Nutella for a treat. We also had photos of some gorgeous little ones eating their healthy snacks and some beautiful Bento boxes from Capture by Lucy.

Some fantastic prizes were on offer and I'm pleased to announce the winners.

The two picnic rucksacks were won by @cherylp59 and @thesoupdragon44

The four runners up prizes were won by @charliechinuk @AttachmentMumma @MyMummysWorld and @LifewithASD

Congratulations winners, enjoy your prizes! Thank you to everyone who joined in the interesting discussion.

Monday 15/4/13 to Sunday 21/4/13, Photos 166-172 of Project 365

22:41 Pippa Ainsworth 0 Comments

Small girl boy sleep sensory play blue jelly travel London Underground tube Opening parcel boxes

Monday #166 'Opening' - Bud received a parcel. Quite possibly the most exciting parcel he's ever had and something I will be reviewing very soon. He wanted to take the contents of this box to bed with him on Monday and Tuesday night but I don't think it would have been very comfortable.

Tuesday #167 'Oh Mummy!' - Bud was trying to explain to me why I should switch on cBeebies before he got dressed this morning. This was his expression of pure exasperation at my refusal.

Wednesday #168 'Blue Jelly' - We have a ton of Gelli-Baff left over from when I had a jelly bath for Comic Relief and I don't think Bud would be terribly keen on getting into a bath of it. I decided to take a box into our Toddler Group and use it for sensory play. This was the trays all set up for the children to play with before their arrival this morning.

Thursday #169 'Platform' - Little Miss and I had an exciting trip to Windsor today to meet the lovely people from Tefal UK. I have a blog post coming this week to tell you all about how I will be working with them as part of their brand new Tefal Innovation Panel. Exciting times! This photograph was taken waiting on the platform at Euston Square tube station for the train to Paddington. We travelled around 400 miles and I didn't have to fold the pram once, I'm amazed. It has fully restored my faith in the British transport network and boosted my self-confidence too.

Friday #170 'Boxes' -  A big delivery following up on our day in Windsor. More on the contents this week.

Saturday #171 ' Sleeping Girl' - Little Miss and I attended a community food event today with her Grandma and Cousin. I didn't take the pushchair as I knew it would be busy and she fell asleep in my arms. I snapped this as I waited for my niece to have a glitter tattoo done (great fun, when you are 12) as she looked so peaceful despite it being so busy around her.

Sunday #172 'Sleeping Boy' - Red Rose Daddy has been away on Scout Camp this week and I don't think any of us have slept well as a result. Bud had a complete meltdown when we walked to ASDA earlier. He didn't want to go shopping but we had to. When we returned he flaked out and fell fast asleep sitting up. He was so deeply asleep that he didn't stir when I moved him into a more comfortable position!

TheBoyandMe's 365 Linky

Huzzah for a Homemade Mike the Knight Birthday Cake

13:54 Pippa Ainsworth 0 Comments

Bud loves Mike the Knight. He follows the exploits of the tiny knight and his friends in Glendragon closely and I knew we were expecting some toys and playsets, in addition to a helmet and sword just like Mike's in his birthday presents. I was determined to make his birthday cake this year and, when I asked him what kind of cake he wanted, I wasn't surprised when he requested a Mike the Knight cake. I googled lots but only saw very professional cakes so had to come up with my own idea. This was the finished result, read on for how I made it.

Mike Knight magazine Birthday Cake icing decoration decorated chocolate ribbon cbeebies third party

Firstly, apologies for not having step-by-step photos. This is my first ever cake post and I didn't realise it would turn out so well and I would want to blog about it. I know next time!

You will need:

One Cake - Choose your own variety of cake, you could even...shhhh...buy one! I used the recipe for Mummy Mishaps' Raa Raa Cake as I loved the marble effect and I've been wanting to try one of her recipes for ages. I used Nutella to sandwich the three layers together.

For Decoration:
Chocolate Fondant Icing (I bought mine ready made from ASDA - their Chosen by You range - but you could make your own)
1x Pack of Ready to Roll Green Icing (I used Regalice)
3x Packs of Chocolate Finger Biscuits (I used Cadburys)

A length of ribbon (1 metre is long enough, I bought Mike the Knight ribbon on eBay)
Small Icing Flowers (again bought from ASDA's Home Baking range)
Small toys 

If you wish to add a name you will need a contrasting colour of ready to roll icing (I used yellow)

How to decorate it:

Once you have your cake baked (or bought) and sandwiched together, place it on a cake board or stand. 

Use the chocolate fondant icing to cover your entire cake, top and sides. I used a palette knife to spread it out smoothly. 

Sprinkle icing sugar on your works urface and roll out your icing on to it then use your cake tin as a guide to cut a circle of icing for the top of your cake. 

Rub icing sugar onto a rolling pin then slide your icing circle onto the rolling pin.

Use the rolling pin to position the icing circle on top of your cake. Lightly press on to it to ensure it is firmly in place.

Next, take your chocolate fingers and place them side by side around the cake. When they are all in place cut a length of your ribbon to size and pin it in place at the back of the cake.

Take your icing flowers and arrange them equally on either side of the top of the cake.

Use small toys to decorate. These actually came from the Mike the Knight Magazine that is available in newsagents and supermarket. We got the finger puppets ages ago and the Galahad and flags were on last month's magazine. They were the perfect size for cake decorations.

Finally, 

Roll out your contrasting icing colour on an icing sugared surface and cut out the letters of your child's name. These can be placed into the gap underneath the flowers. If you don't have alphabet cutters you could try doing it freehand or even piping using softer icing. I made up some icing using a little icing sugar mixed with water and used this to stick the letters on to the cake.

I placed the birthday candles in the centre of the cake.

I was really pleased with the design of my cake and it tasted great too (thanks to Jenny at Mummy Mishaps!) You could decorate it in any way really, perhaps using Octonauts toys and blue icing with white chocolate finger biscuits? Or using a similar colour scheme to make a Tree Fu Tom cake?

Bud adored his cake and dragged everyone who arrived to see him on his birthday to see it, mostly before they even had chance to take their coats off!




#healthysnackchat Twitter Discussion

14:44 Pippa Ainsworth 0 Comments

Getting Bud to eat fruit has never been an issue for us, thank goodness. He will try most fruit and starts each day with a mixture of it depending on what we have in. He loves apples although he does have a somewhat alarming habit of eating the whole thing and just handing me a stalk. As Bud isn't overly keen on vegetables (he will eat cucumber and that's it at the moment so he has it with every meal, alongside a new vegetable to try) I try to keep our fruit bowl well stocked so he can snack on that rather than reaching for our Easter Egg stash.

I know that helping our children to eat healthily is a big issue for a lot of parents. We all want to feel that they are eating well and getting a balanced diet. Snack time can be a particular minefield with hidden fats and sugar in many shop bought snacks and a lack of inspiration which means that I, certainly, reach for particular favourites that I know he will eat.

Next Monday, 22nd April at 10:30am I will be joining with three other bloggers, Jenny from The Brick Castle, Eileen from ET Speaks from Home and Anna from In the Playroom, for a chat about healthy snacks on Twitter, in association with SA Fruits. We'd like you to share your hints, tips, recipes and advice on the healthy snacks that you offer your children. SA Fruits have supplied us with two Picnic Rucksacks to offer as prizes. One will be won by someone tweeting the promotional tweet, and one during the party. There will also be some smaller prizes to be won during the party.

SA Fruits Picnic Rucksack Prize South African

SA Fruits supply the UK market with a range of fruit and can be found in supermarkets all year round. They sent us a range of fruit to try out which we've all been snacking on this weekend. We received Comice Pears, Red Williams Pears, Royal Gala Apples, Sonogold Plums and Angeleno Plums.

Comice Pears, Red Williams Pears, Royal Gala Apples, Sonogold Plums and Angeleno in box

 I loved the Red William Pears, they were so tasty and sweet. The Royal Gala Apples were a big hit with both Bud and Little Miss as I pureed one for her. 


Small boy eating a Royal Gala Apple


We don't often buy plums but both varieties we were sent were lovely and sweet with none of the tartness that sometimes puts me off them.


Comice Pears, Red Williams Pears, Royal Gala Apples, Sonogold Plums and Angeleno Plums.

For a chance to win a Picnic Rucksack simply retweet this Twitter status



I hope you will join in our Twitter chat on Monday 22nd April at 10:30am for an interesting discussion and a chance to win prizes.

Please read the terms and conditions:

1. Open to UK residents only.
2. One picnic rucksack will be won by someone tweeting the #healthysnackchatpromotional tweet between 00:01 on Monday 15th April and 10:00 on Monday 22nd April.
3. One picnic rucksack will be won by someone tweeting one of the#healthysnackchat party tweets between 10:00 and 12:00 on Monday 22nd April.
4. Small prizes will be won by participants in the #healthysnackchat party every fifteen minutes during the party’s running time. 10:30-10:45, 10:46-11:00, 11:01-11:15 and 11:16-11:30.
5. Winners will be chosen at random from all qualifying tweets.
6. Winners will be chosen by @etspeaksfrom@redrosemummy,@TheBrickCastle and @ummziyad.
7. The picnic rucksacks prizes will be sent direct from the PR company, winner’s details will be passed on to them for prize fulfillment. Small prizes will be sent by@etspeaksfrom.
8. No responsibility can be accepted for entries not received for whatever reason.
9. Winners will be notified via Twitter DM, you must be following one of the following Twitter accounts to be notified – @etspeaksfrom@redrosemummy,@TheBrickCastle and @ummziyad.
10. Please kindly follow our sponsor @SAFruits too.  Thank you.

Magpie Monday - A Trip to the Church Fleamarket

10:07 Pippa Ainsworth 0 Comments

I've been a fan of the Magpie Monday linky over at Me and My Shadow for quite some time. I guess I'm inherently nosy and I also love a good car boot sale, jumble sale or charity shop. I've been meaning to link up for ages but haven't really had any bargains worthy of a post in quite some time.

This weekend one of our local churches hosted their fleamarket. They do this every six months and we always try to attend as, in addition to the chance of a bargain, they also serve a great cup of coffee and wonderful cream cakes too. We have to take advantage of this when we go, after all it raises essential funds for the local community!

Last time the event was hosted I came away a little disappointed. I got a couple of small things but nothing worthy of a blog post but I was very pleased this time.

The first stall as I went in caught my eye straight away as it was selling a mixture of kitchen items. I immediately spotted these two flan dishes. I have fond memories of soup cups with recipes printed on them that my Nanna had when I was a child and these are from the same range. I've no idea what it is called (if anyone else knows please tell me) but they are a reminder of her and useful too. £1:40 bought me both of them.

Flan Dishes with recipes printed on them

As we moved around the fleamarket I was really pleased to see lots of interesting items, much improved on last time although nothing caught my eye until I got to a stall which was mainly selling shoes and socks. All were brand new but gave the impression of having been tucked away in a wardrobe somewhere. My eye was drawn to a blue shoe box which contained a beautiful pair of turquoise, suede toddler shoes. On closer inspection these were revealed as a brand new pair of Babybotte shoes. A brand I'd vaguely heard of in the 'I'd never spend that amount of money on a pair of children's shoes' kind of way. When I asked the price and was told £3:50 I very quickly parted with the required money. I'm not sure when they will fit Little Miss (they are a UK size 4) but I am so pleased with them. They are beautifully soft suede and have clearly never been worn. The soles are unmarked and the ankle straps looks like they have never been fastened.

Turquoise babybotte toddler shoes with dolphins on them

My final bargain of the day was from a stallholder's 25p box. I spotted a bag of what I thought was ribbon. On closer inspection it was actually trimming and binding for clothes. There was masses in the bag and I'm sure I'll find ways to use them in some of the various sewing projects I have planned. Red Rose Daddy got a dutch style plant pot from the same box but I have no idea where it has vanished to so no photo of that. Making order from the tangled bag will probably take a little while, is it strange that I will probably quite enjoy it?

Tangle of ribbon bias bindings and trimmings

I was so pleased with our bargains from this particular fleamarket, I just wish I could find a more regular source of them!

I'm finally linking up to Magpie Monday. Simply click on the badge to find out more and read the other linked up posts.

Me and My Shadow

Sunday 7/4/13 to Sunday 14/4/13 Photos 158-165 of Project 365

23:14 Pippa Ainsworth 0 Comments

Sunday 7/4/13 to Sunday 14/4/13 Photos 158-165 of Project 365

#158 Sunday 'Growing Up Girl' - Little Miss is growing up so quickly at the moment and she is getting so good at sitting up. This was her sitting on her Grandparent's sofa and looking a bit older than seven months!

#159 Monday 'Spoon' - Bud received a Spoon Puppet kit for his birthday. We got them out this morning and had fun playing with the wooden spoons. We didn't actually manage to decorate them as the glue included wasn't much use. I need to buy some more PVA.

#160 Tuesday 'Snuggly' - Little Miss has been having a few problems sleeping this week. We've had a couple of disturbed nights and she hasn't slept as much during the day. She fell asleep at tea time today, not long before bed and looked so snuggly and sweet.

#161 Wednesday 'Digging' - Red Rose Daddy loves gardening and he and Bud went out into the garden to do some digging this evening. He loves his Dad's tools and is desperate to use them. We actually found a child's size spade and rake in Home Bargains this week and Bud is so excited to use them in the garden.

#162 Thursday 'Over and Out' - Bud has been playing with our monitors a lot recently. He has realised he can hear his sister when she is napping and I often find him with it to his ear. He does attempt to use it as a  walkie talkie too. Thank goodness he hasn't found the 'talk' button yet!

#163 Friday 'Host' - I love Daffodils. They have been a special flower for me since Bud was born. I bought a bunch of Daffodils for the kitchen windowsill on the day before he was born. They were closed but, by the time I returned home three days later had exploded into beautiful flowers. I always try to have them on the windowsill when they are in the shops and they always make me smile, These are in pots so I'm going to transfer them to the garden when they die back.

#164 Saturday 'Bumblebee' - We had lovely weather today and had all the bedroom windows open. When Red Rose Daddy went into close them he was greeted by very loud buzzing and this enormous Bumblebee. I wish I could show you the scale but it was about the size of a ten pence coin. He got it into a glass and released her into the garden. Bumblebees are very precious to gardeners so he was hopeful that it was none the worse for her ordeal.

#165 Sunday 'Glasses' - We went to the LEGOLAND Discovery Centre with Blogs Up North today and couldn't resist taking in the new Legends of Chima film that we saw a preview of in March. Little Miss sat on her Daddy's knee for the showing and looked so sweet when we tried the 3D glasses on her.

TheBoyandMe's 365 Linky

Vital Baby Weaning Set - A Review

00:32 Pippa Ainsworth 0 Comments

We seem to have reached the weaning stage with Little Miss so quickly. I remember being a little impatient for Bud to get to the magic six months and being slightly frustrated when he got a bad cold which prevented us from introducing solids until a couple of weeks after he got there. One of the important things when starting weaning is to ensure you are well prepared and having the correct tools in place is an important part of that. Vital Baby have been producing infant feeding products since 2005 and aim to provide fun, safe and innovative ways to make mealtime fun for parents and their babies.

We received a Vital Baby Weaning Set to try out with Little Miss. With both her and her big brother I've adopted a mixed approach to weaning. I tend to combine elements of the finger foods of Baby Led Weaning with purees and porridge. Little Miss gets a mixture of tastes and textures every day.

The Vital Baby Weaning Set is a BPA-free plastic bowl which comes complete with lid and spoon. The spoon fixes securely into the lid when not in use and the lid locks on to the bowl to offer a self contained unit which allows you to easily transport homemade food if you are out and about. A really nifty touch is the fact that the spoon has a cover which allows you to confidently put a dirty spoon back in your bag without the risk of food going astray or having to search for somewhere to wash the dish and spoon up.

VitalBaby Vital Baby Pink Weaning Set Spoon Lid Bowl

In the photo above you can see that I had three ice cubes (hearts!) of fruit puree in the bowl. I placed these into the bowl in the morning and then went around to a friend's house for the day. When it was time for tea the hearts had melted but the puree hadn't leaked at all. The lid for the bowl did it's job perfectly.

I must mention the Vital Baby Spoon. These soft tip weaning spoons are absolutely perfect as a baby's first spoon. Little Miss prefers me to use our Vital Baby spoons (I've since bought a separate pack) above all others that we have available. The soft tip is easy on her mouth and the spoons are ergonomically designed to make it easy for her to feed herself when the time comes. The shape of the spoon fits her mouth well.

This is the set we use whenever we need to take food for Little Miss with us now, whether homemade or a pouch. I think it is an excellent design from a parent's perspective with a lip to hold on to rather than trying to balance the base of the bowl on your hand when feeding. We're really pleased with our Vital Baby Weaning Set and I'm set to invest in one or two more for a weekend away we have coming up.

Vital Baby are stocked by Boots, John Lewis, Mothercare and Toys R Us and are available online at Ocado and Amazon.

Disclaimer: We were sent this set for the purpose of this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

Pink Lining Queensdale Tote Changing Bag - A Review

23:13 Pippa Ainsworth 0 Comments

I love bags. They've always been a little bit of an obsession for me and I have quite a collection. When I became a mummy three years ago my handbag obsession turned into a keenness for changing bags. I must have had five or six. It can be surprisingly tricky to find the 'right' bag to tote everything you need for yourself and a baby around and this got even worse when I started potty training Bud and he needed lots of spare clothes to be put in the bag too. My existing bag of choice just wasn't cutting the mustard.

Pink Lining came to my rescue when they offered to send me a bag to review. I've seen their changing bags hanging from all the best dressed prams and pushchairs since I started noticing this sort of thing so I was incredibly excited! After much deliberation I chose the Queensdale Tote, in the Multicoloured Bows pattern.

When the box arrived I was having a really grumpy day with two poorly children so I was so excited to open the door to a delivery driver bearing a big white box with the familiar pink logo.

Pink Lining Box and Queensdale Tote Changing Bag in Multicoloured Bows

The Queensdale Tote is quite a large bag which is open at the top. This style appealed to me as I'm constantly needing to stuff in a spare pair of trousers or a couple of nappies. When you are trying to leave the house with two small children then zip pockets and fasteners just get in the way. This bag fastens with a large magnetic press stud. I just have to get them within the vicinity of one another and they snap shut. Again great when I'm in a hurry. It's surprisingly spacious inside and I can easily pack a change of clothes (or three) for Bud, a change for Little Miss, nappies, a dish and baby food now we're weaning, bibs and all my bits inside.

A feature I really like on this bag is the wide shoulder straps. If I'm carrying a bag it invariably goes over one shoulder. I do use cross body straps sometimes but any other way to carry a bag doesn't usually work for me. The Queensdale Tote has two thick woven straps which are so sturdy and built to take a full bag. They fix on to our pram perfectly and the bag tucks in beneath the handle. This is a great feature and one that I've always struggled with - having to constantly adjust the straps by shortening for on the pram or lengthening to carry the bag myself. There is none of that with this bag. It's so easy to swap between the pram and your shoulder. The strap fixes onto the bag using a strong metal clip, no risk of failure there!

Included with the bag is a wet bag and padded changing mat, great for nappy changes on the go and making sure you get everything home neatly. There are two large pockets on the outside with beautiful market stall embroidery. These coupled with the fantastic multicolured bows print make this such an attractive bag and one that has got me lots of compliments since I've started using it. Our Queensdale Tote has now been everywhere with us since we started using it, I haven't used any of my other changing bags because I can rely on it to store everything I need.

Pink Lining Queensdale Tote Changing Bag Close Up Multicoloured Bows


Pink Lining do make great changing bags, so much thought and effort has gone into them to make them both functional and pretty. They have a wide range of different shapes and sizes of bag with one to meet every mummy's needs. I'm very intrigued by their range of accessories and children's bags too.

Disclaimer: I was sent this bag for the purpose of this review, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Lullaby Trust

00:16 Pippa Ainsworth 0 Comments

Two months ago we were out for a family day out when I took a moment to check Twitter on my phone. I spotted some news that was so shocking that I had to sit down. The lovely Jennie who blogs at Edspire had lost her beautiful baby daughter Matilda Mae at just nine months old. As the days passed it emerged that Matilda Mae had fallen victim to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and the blogging community became more aware of the Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths (FSID), the leading UK charity devoted to funding research into the unexpected death of infants.

Edspire and The Lullaby Trust

Twenty five years ago my baby cousin died from SIDS. This was in a time when SIDS was much more common than it thankfully is today. A large part of the reduction in cases is down to the safe sleep message that FSID have promoted over the years. Today FSID have announced that they are re-branding themselves as The Lullaby Trust in order to make themselves more approachable to parents and families, both in giving advice on the safe sleep message and in being there to support should the unthinkable happen.

I think the name change is a brilliant idea, it presents the charity as a warm, supportive organisation without the constant reminder of SID in their former name. In an ideal world The Lullaby Trust wouldn't be needed but while it is, I am glad that grieving parents and grandparents have somewhere to go for support in their darkest hours.

Tips on Travelling with Children

00:56 Pippa Ainsworth 0 Comments

Premier Inn have been asking bloggers like me for tips to enhance the experience of travelling with children. I was happy to contribute my ideas and you can see them in this interactive checklist. Just hover over the circle in the bottom left of each square to see the tips.


Another easy way to ensure that your travel experience is smooth is to ensure that you and your children are well rested and a night in a hotel close to the airport, like the Gatwick Premier Inn is a very easy and economical way to do so.

Argo on Blu Ray - A Review

00:21 Pippa Ainsworth 0 Comments

It's ages since Red Rose Daddy and I have sat down and watched a really good film together and we've both commented that we haven't see a film that we've both enjoyed. Usually one of us likes it and one of us doesn't. When we received a Blu Ray copy of Argo by Warner Bros recently I had high hopes that this might be the film to break our drought.

Argo Blu Ray Cover

Argo is the multi-Oscar winning film directed by, and starring Ben Affleck. I love Ben Affleck. I even liked him in Jersey Girl. I'm a huge fan and have wanted to see Argo since it's cinematic release but with small children it's really tricky to get to the cinema and we often end up waiting for the DVD or Blu Ray.

The film is set against the Iranian hostage crisis at the end of the 1970s. During the storming of the embassy a handful of Americans escaped and were harboured by the Canadian Embassy. Being trapped in a country where US citizens were in mortal danger meant that the CIA had to become inventive when searching for ways to evacuate them safely. Argo tells the story of Tony Mendez (played by Affleck) and his efforts to safely get the Americans to safely.

I'm not going to tell you anymore about the story because I don't want to spoil it for you. The film is compelling and engaging and kept both me and my partner on the edge of our seats. I've read that the Canadians were unhappy that their role in the expatriation has been downplayed but this is a Hollywood film and the Americans have been telling their version of history in their films since they started making them! This doesn't stop it being an excellent film with a gripping plot and excellent acting (especially from the lovely Mr Affleck). If you're anything like me you'll go off and read about the Iranian hostage crisis anyway.

The Blu Ray version of Argo has Ultraviolet capabilities which allows you to watch the film on your mobile devices. It is available from all the usual stockists and Amazon.

Disclaimer: We received this Blu Ray for the purpose of this review. All opinions are my own.


Saturday 30/3/13 to Saturday 6/4/13 Photos 150-157 of Project 365

01:13 Pippa Ainsworth 0 Comments

We've had a crazily busy week this week. Four family birthdays, including Bud's third birthday and all the preparation that has needed. Time spent catching up with friends - one of my oldest friends, and one new one and their respective children, and a week off work for Red Rose Daddy. I've been snapping away every day but haven't had the chance to post my photos each day so I'm bringing you a collage for this week. I think I will return to posting every day, this is just a one off to avoid seven separate blog posts!

Project 365 Collage

#150 Saturday - Bud had a lazy lunch watching cBeebies on the sofa. He looked so comfortable that I couldn't resist a quick snap.

#151 Sunday - Mini Eggs. I love Mini Eggs, they are one of my favourite things about Easter. Red Rose Daddy went out to celebrate a friend's birthday tonight so I curled up with a glass of wine and a bowl of these.

#152 Monday - Bud was into pyjamas early and snuggled up with Little Miss' Easter Bunny. It's unusual for him ever to play with soft toys but he sat with this for quite a while.

#153 Tuesday - We met an old school friend of mine and her children at the country park close to our house. She now lives in Norfolk and I don't get the chance to see her anywhere nearly as often as I would like. It's funny how the years melt away when we get together though. We met up at 9:30am so it was very early to be there and the ducks, geese and swans were pleased to see us. You might notice that Red Rose Daddy is holding on to Bud's hood in this photo, it was a quick grab to stop the momentum of throwing the bread carrying him into the lake.

#154 Wednesday - We went out for dinner to celebrate my (not) Brother in Law's birthday. Bud was a little tired at the table and was rubbing his eyes a lot. This was the second birthday of the week, our nephew's was the day before so lots of celebrating for us.

#155 Thursday - The big day. Bud's third birthday. I have a post coming which will tell you all about that but this is Little Miss trying out her big brother's new digger for size. She absolutely loved it and really chuckled when her Daddy placed her on it.

#156 Friday - Little Miss and I had a lie in when Bud and Daddy went downstairs early to investigate all of Bud's presents and new toys. She is so lovely to snuggle and makes me smile so much. It's lovely to enjoy a few quiet moments on our own sometimes.

#157 Saturday - Back to Saturday again and some interesting post. I'm trying to switch Little Miss to cloth nappies, at least some of the time so am on a steep learning curve all about it. I ordered a couple of trial nappies on a special offer this week and they arrived today. I adore the jade green nappy and can't wait to see her in it!

TheBoyandMe's 365 Linky

Kiddicare Opens Up North at Aintree!

12:54 Pippa Ainsworth 0 Comments

Last Thursday Little Miss and I were invited to a very exciting bloggers day out at the new Kiddicare Aintree store which had opened the previous day. Kiddicare is one of those stores that I've always heard good things about. I have friends who live quite close to the original Peteborough store who rave about it and I know lots of people who really like their online store.When Kiddicare and Morrison's joined forces recently and it was announced that Kiddicare would be extending across the country and opening in the North West I was very pleased.

Kiddicare Aintree Liverpool Entrance

Kiddicare Aintree is the fifth Kiddicare store to open and the first in North West England. The store has created 77 jobs for the local community and all of the employees live within a ten mile radius of the store. This positions them at the heart of their local community whilst also offering a destination shopping experience for those travelling from further afield.

The store is wonderful. On arrival you are greeted by a large reception desk with friendly staff who can direct you to whichever section of the large store you need. The store is designed well and each item of baby equipment is grouped together. Car seats, highchairs, toys, prams, nursery furniture and clothing are all clearly and distinctly displayed.
Kiddicare Aintree baby supplies store departments

This approach is quite refreshing. If you want a highchair you go to the huge, eye-catching, highchair wall and ask for assistance. A member of staff will bring out each model you want to look at so you can make your desicion. The same applies to car seats and prams. The car seat team is fully trained and offers free car seat fitting and safety checking as part of their service. Kiddicare realise that the nursery is often the smallest room in the house so they have their nursery furniture displayed in a 'box room' layout - perfect for really imagining how it will look at home.

Kiddicare have some really innovative services in their stores. If you would like to consult their car seat team, rather than hanging around in that section you can input your name and mobile number into a handy touch screen panel and you will receive a text when they are ready for you. As well as the car seat team they also offer buggy MOTs. If you take your pram in to see them they will check it for you and make recommendations based on it's condition. You don't need to have bought your pushchair there either, all makes and models are welcome. They also offer a 'Very Important Baby' section where expectant parents can consult a personal shopper service to help them navigate their list of essential items for their new baby. This will, in time, incorporate a gift list facility which will enable parents to put together a list to help their friends and families to choose presents for a new arrival. 

Kiddicare Aintree Car Seat Team Buggy MOT Very Important Baby

I was impressed to see that Kiddicare Aintree has digital price tags. This is to ensure that all of their prices are consistent, whether web based or in other stores. If a price changes in one store or online then it changes everywhere. This is a terrific way to avoid the frustration of finding out you could get something cheaper elsewhere. They also have a terrific 'Walk in the Park' which allows parents to test drive new prams and pushchairs and check that they like them. I didn't try any out as I already have a serious pram habit and we don't have room for anymore! 

Kiddicare Aintree Walk in the Park and Digital Price Tags Pram Buggy Testing

Kiddicare Aintree wants to become a social hub for the local community and, to this end, they have a community table in their terrific Starbucks Cafe, and their event room which offers a daily timetable of classes, talks and groups. We were treated to a fantastic singing class with Time for Ted which really showed off this facility to it's full potential. I loved this class as it was a rare opportunity for me to concentrate on Little Miss and do something for her, she was perhaps a little small to really get the most from it but enjoyed exploring all the different props that were handed out with her mouth and hands.

The cafe has a family friendly layout with a large play area in one corner and a Nursing Nest for parents who wish to feed their babies in quiet and privacy. The play area has large oval windows and is open at the top so it's easy to keep an eye on your little ones if they want to play while you grab a much needed Latte. There is also a large play area in the toy section which the older children in our group made good use of.

Kiddicare Aintree Play Cafe Nursing Nest Event Room

I felt like Kiddicare have thought of everything in the design of their new store. The baby changing area is communal so open to both mums and dads. The toilets in both sections are family friendly with a grown up and child-size toilet. They are also big enough to wheel a pram in and lock the door, a rare find when out with the children! The toilet door locks even had a smiley face and a sad face on the lock so, if a child locks themselves in accidentally it is easy to say 'push it to the happy face' rather than trying to explain in more grown up terms. The bright design of the toilet area was lovely and, rather than the typical pictures, Kiddicare clearly shows just who they hope to cater for on the entrance to the cubicles area. You can also entertain yourself by finding out what you are as tall as while you're hanging around waiting for other people to finish.

Kiddicare Aintree Toilets

Morrison's has recently launched their own clothing range and I picked up a few items for Bud and Little Miss. I am really impressed by the design and quality of them and they were a fantastic price which was cheaper, in my opinion, than the other supermarket ranges. I was particularly impressed by a set of two funky bandana bibs for just £2:50 (cheaper than the usual price for one) that Little Miss has been rocking since we bought them. 

Of course I had to make a few small purchases and, in addition to the clothes I bought Little Miss a beautiful owl comforter as her Easter present. This has received lovely comments from everyone who has seen it and Little Miss has really taken to it. She loves having it in her car seat with her. This toy is from Kiddicare's own range and I love the colour palette and different textures it offers. 

Baby Girl Owl Comforter Kiddicare

Even the tills at Kiddicare are well thought out, with racks of essential items. you may have forgotten in the queuing area. I didn't actually have to queue at all. I was so pleased to see a free gift wrap area next to the tills which is great if you're popping in to get a last-minute gift for someone. You can wrap it in some bright, spotty paper instead of turning up sheepishly with a carrier bag. 

We really enjoyed our day out at Kiddicare and I can see us returning when we have a car again. I'm hoping for a new highchair so I think that a trip to make that purchase will be essential!

Little Miss and I would like to thank Kiddicare for inviting us to their bloggers tour of the new Aintree store. We had a lovely time meeting up with other great North West bloggers (especially the lovely Ghostwriter Mummy who very kindly drove us), a lovely lunch and great company in the form of Jennie, Rachael and Matt from Kiddicare who made us so very welcome.

Disclaimer: We were invited to the store as guests of Kiddicare and received lunch and a goodie bag.





Baker Days Letterbox Cakes - A Review

15:53 Pippa Ainsworth 0 Comments

As Red Rose Daddy was celebrating his birthday recently I was delighted when Baker Days, the artisan bakers who deliver cakes to your letterbox, offered to send me one of their birthday cakes to review. Knowing that, within a matter of hours a cake would be arrive in the mail is quite exciting and I was very interested to test out the service.

Baker Days have a massive range of customisable cakes available. You name it, they probably have a design that will suit, many of them allow you to add a name, age and photo to make it fully personalised.

As Red \Rose Daddy and I are big Bolton Wanderers fans I decided to choose the Bolton Football Shirt cake (I was actually quite impressed to see this one, we're not in the Premier League anymore so get forgotten about). I personalised it with his name, age and photo. I chose the Chocolate Chip Sponge Cake, made with Belgian Chocolate, which requires a £2 premium.

The cake arrives brilliantly packaged. In a sturdy cardboard box, the cake is inside in a cute little tin with 'just for you' embossed upon it, and a party pack of candles, balloons and party blowers. If you were sending it as a surprise gift the packaging does mean it would be a pleasure to open. On the day our's arrived our postman brought a few parcels so handed me the box, I did test it to see if it would fit through our letterbox and it comfortably did so.

Baker Days Letterbox Cake tin and packaging

When you open the tine you are greeted by the sight of your cake on it's board, alongside instructions to remove it from the tin without damaging it. Once this is removed you can view your cake properly.

Baker Days Personalised Football Shirt Cake

We tried the cake on his birthday and shared it between us. It tasted lovely. Really moist and moreish. Bud, especially, loved it. I'm not a big fan of icing but the printed icing is very thin so not too sweet. We were all really impressed by the quality of the cake, sending through the post means no compromise on quality at all.

Baker Days Sliced Personalised Football Shirt Cake

We left about a third of our cake for a couple of days before we finished it and, stored in the tin, I'm happy to say that it hadn't gone stale at all. It kept really well.

At prices starting from £14:99 Baker Days cakes are quite expensive but I do think that they offer a unique gift. It would be perfect to send to someone as a birthday surprise, perhaps if you aren't planning to see them on their birthday or to send to a loved one at work? I know I would love to receive a surprise like this.

Have you ordered from Baker Days? What did you think?

On the Farm from Orchard Toys - an Izziwizzi Kids Review

18:41 Pippa Ainsworth 0 Comments

In addition to Pirate Shapes which I brought you a video review for yesterday we have also been reviewing On the Farm - a brand new jigsaw and playset from Orchard Toys.

This set links together with the Orchard Toys Giant Road Jigsaw. We don't actually have that yet but we've definitely added it to our list now we've seen how great On the Farm is. Please watch our video below to see what fun we had.

A Boots Shopping Trip with #CBias

14:48 Pippa Ainsworth 0 Comments

Around eighteen years ago (eek!) I got the Saturday job that all my friends coveted and started working at Boots at the weekend. This was back in the days when Boots sold CDs and stereos and this was the department I worked in. I'd grown up shopping in Boots with my family and I was very conscious that I was joining a company with a great heritage and an enduring position on the British high street. In our induction we were told about the company and how it was started by the Boot family in Nottingham in the mid 19th Century. I used to love using my staff discount to spend my wages on those teenage essentials - make up and spot cream mainly!

Boots Store Entrance Shop Mealhouse Lane Bolton

All these years on and I'm back living in my hometown. The branch of Boots I worked in has moved but the new site is still a favourite store for me. Nowadays I'm usually in there to pick up a prescription from the pharmacy, to buy baby essentials or gifts for friends or family but it's still somewhere I will pop to just to browse, or to look for an easy way to treat myself. I always enjoy trying out new beauty products so being able to find so many great brands, as well as their excellent own brand products, under one roof makes it easy,

Boots Mealhouse Lane Bolton Baby Photo Pharmacy Skincare Departments

It was my birthday this week and, very unusually, I received no toiletries or cosmetics so I decided to use some of my birthday money to get something new. We've all had colds lately and my skin has been really dull so I decided to look for a reviving face mask to try out. I had a lovely browse around the skincare aisles checking out the offers and new products on display. I always visit the Advantage Card machines when I shop in Boots, just to see if there are any coupons to use which will boost my points. Boots introduced their Advantage Card scheme in 1997, two years after I stopped working there and went off to university. I did sign up straight away when it was launched and have used my points for some great treats over the years.

I eventually chose two products from Good Things. I've not heard of this brand before but their Five Minute Facial Face Mask and Bright Eyes Eye Cream sounded perfect to give my skin a boost. This was on a terrific special offer. Any two Good Works products for just £6, as each of the products I chose cost £5:99 it was, essentially two for the price of one. I also picked up two items from the Boots Botanics range, which are staples of mine - the Rosewater Toning Spritz and the Cleansing Face Wipes. Both of these were on special offer too so I was very pleased.

Boots Receipt Till Spit and Good Things and Botanics Skincare Purchases

I received a survey at the tills to complete and enter a competition and a coupon for an extra 250 points when I spend £25. These are always great to boost my points when doing a larger shop.

This is our local Boots store, I call in most weeks and usually find shopping there an enjoyable experience. The Boots.com website offers their full range if it is difficult for you to reach their store or you prefer to shop online.

I've now tried my new Good Things face mask and eye cream. Both are lovely products. The eye cream is really refreshing and the fruity, cleansing face mask felt lovely on my skin during the treatment and left it feeling calm and smooth. I'm not brave enough to show you a photo of me in a facemask but you can see a swatch of the facemask on my wrist here. I hope you can see the thick and creamy texture of the mask.

Good Things Boots Face Mask Sample Swatch

I'm definitely going to try out some more of the Good Things range, especially if it is on a terrific special offer like the on that I took advantage of in Boots on this visit.

If you'd like to see more photos from my visit to Boots, check out my Google+ Album

I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community.  This content has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias® #CBias #SocialFabric.