My Dream Bathroom

A month ago we moved into our new home, and boy is it in need of a makeover.  First to go is the dining room carpet and wallpaper - seriously, what year are we living in??!!

Next up is the front room, the carpet is soo stained it's horrible.  How can anyone have lived like that?

Fortunately although they need making over the bedrooms aren't too bad and can wait.

The bathroom - well that's a tale all to itself.... it's functional, so in that respect it's going to be the last thing in the house to be done finance wise, despite the fact that after my bedroom it's my second favourite place to unwind and really needs to be somewhere I love to be.

Lush: Yog Nog - Soap

If you love egg custard tarts you will find it very difficult not to eat this soap.

From it's lovely buttery gingerbread colour to the Christmassy scents of clove and nutmeg it is perfect for bringing a little bit of festive into the middle of Summer.  Combine that with a sweet cocoa smell and you have a little bit of heaven in a bar.

Review: The Rough Guide to The Lake District

It seems ages ago I was telling you all about my budget holiday, and I suppose it was - way back in February, what with moving house and work and blogging it has just flown.

This week I've got a few days off coming up and we've been trying to work out where to go and so I dug out my holiday stuff, guide books, maps things like that and remembered I'd not told you about a lovely book DK sent me in February.  I'd mentioned to them about going on holiday when they send me the fabulous Factivity books to review and they tucked some bonus treats into the box for me and the kids, among these was "The Rough Guide to The Lake District".

This book was so helpful both planning on holiday, as it is set out in a really easy to read format and covers all the popular touristy parts of the Lakes.

Books for Sale or swap

I've done it.... have taken a big de-cluttering step and cleared out my bookcase.

Some of these books are well loved, some brand new.  Some hardback, some paperback.

All for sale at 50p each + p&p (this will depend on size/ weight of book), payment via paypal.   Alternatively will swap - I'll link my book 'wish list' up when I've done it.

If you live in/ can get to Sheffield then happy for collection in person.

Lush: July haul

This week I had a crisis.... I opened my box of lush products to find there were no bath bombs in it.  Sure there was a small amount of blue skies left,  and a small bit of something orangy but I wanted a nice fizzy poppy wizzy colourful bath.    There was only one thing for it,  I needed to go shopping.

So on Sunday me and the boys headed into town.   They had the best time as the assistant took them over to a bowl of water and let them make their own potion of different colour bath bombs.  She then entertained them with massage and shampoo bars while mummy shopped in peace (have you ever considered opening a creche? ).

And as for mummy,  my stash has been revived for another month with some lovely new products (well new to me) finding their way home to tell you about in the next few weeks.

The comforter

Twilight

Big Blue

Fizzbanger (Ok this is an old favourite of mine)

and

Phoenix

I'm trying to persuade the husband I need a trip to London to the Oxford Street store but at £100+ for train tickets I don't think he's warming to the idea.  :(

Tesco Orchard Review: Summer Fruit with a dipping chocolate sauce

At the Ideal Home Show I happened upon an impromptu 'cooking' demonstration on melting chocolate and it gave me a great, messy,  treat idea for the kids......

   

... combine that with the fact Ben has suddenly got a passion for cherries, don't ask me where it's come from but suddenly they are his newest obsession.   Every time we walk past the greengrocers he asks for them but they are really expensive and personally I don't like them  (which made him even happier when Tesco provided us with some vouchers to try theirs for free).  We also picked up some British strawberries with our vouchers. 

   

Moving House: Empty Boxes

Well we're unpacked (sort of, in a fashion).  Don't you hate those first few months in a new house, everything had it's place in the old one.  Yes granted that might have been in a box but it was in a box in THAT cupboard, you know that one you no longer have and now you have that box sat on your bedroom floor because you just can't work out what to do with it now.

Anyway I digress, what do you do with the empty cardboard boxes?  Well if you are us you spend a sunny (well it was until we got outside when if kept drizzling on us) Sunday outside building a castle.

I asked Noah to take the boxes outside

Tesco Orchard Review: Steak (2) - Homemade Steak Pie

We love a good steak pie in this house but it's rare we have it.  Shop bought ones are a big no as they always contain onion which no one in this house will touch so the only time we have it is when mummy has time to cook.

This was the perfect opportunity to make one.

Made in Sheffield: Panache (part 2)

Welcome to part 2 of my Made In Sheffield: Panache blog post, I hope you enjoyed part 1 looking at the history of Panache and it's ranges.  This part brings you the creative processes involved in bringing you a new season and what's next for Panache (except I appear to have misplaced my notes so this may be revisited when I find them).

Review: The Good Bag Co

I first came across The Good Bag Co in February when we went to the Lakes on holiday as they have outlets in Grasmere and Keswick.  I also bumped into them at the Ideal Home Show in Manchester.

I loved the quirky slogans such as "Chocolate is Soooo Good" , "mums are good", "cakes are good" and with the festive season creeping up on us they have many Christmas variations which are fab.  Soo many bags that would suit me down to a 'T' -

Made in Sheffield: Panache (part 1)

Panache Lingerie have some lovely modern offices in Sheffield (near Crystal Peaks) that they moved into in 2008, myself and some other bloggers were invited along a couple of weeks ago to hear about their range, see their work spaces and have a sneaky peak at what coming up.

We were introduced to Debbie, Alicia and Jenny who all have their own roles to play in bringing you the next seasons must haves in lingerie.

Warning..... this is a longgg post so I have split it into 2.....

Part 1 covers the history of Panache and it's ranges.
Part 2 talks about the creative processes involved in bringing you a new season and what's next for Panache.

Is baby and child clutter taking over your home?

Isn't it amazing just how much space they take up??!!   I cannot believe just how much of the stuff we  moved were boxes of their things.  There were 10 boxes of books! OK s this could be because I am a bookworm myself and a 'set' person.  I cannot just have 1 of the Narnia series we have to have the whole lot, Famous Five erm.... ok anyway....   And being a blogger I enjoy getting new titles through for the boys so they add to it.  In fact I tried to sell around 200 of their books before we moved and no one wanted them (well except timewasters) so they ended up coming with us.
Then you had the large box of board games.  We found some great boxes in Poundland for their other toys so each type could be boxed up seperatly (I must have spent £30 on these!).
Clothes .......... seriously how much have they got!!!  Must stop buying T-Shirts and onesies just because I love them!

This is KIDS mine are 4 and 6 now I dread to think how much I would have had if one had still been a baby with highchairs, prams and walkers to contend with.

Review: Timmy Failure

At 6 years old Ben loves mystery and solving crime but trying to get him to look at this from anything other than a superhero punch up view is really difficult. I was happy therefore to discover the Timmy Failure books by Stephen Pastis which cover the founder of the "best" detective agency in town - Total Failure, Inc.

Ben loves it and keeps a copy of Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made on the breakfast table flicking through, laughing at the pictures and reading excerpts out to me.

Moving House: Last Minute Questions

YAY you have finally got the keys and can move in ..... but first things first .... here's some last minute questions to ask the seller/ previous tenants that may help in the next few weeks....

Just a quicky

Just a quickie to let you know what a fab time I had tonight at the Panache bloggers event.  I'll be letting you know all about it just as soon as..... However tomorrow I am moving house so may not be checking in as much, and certainly no time to write until the weekend,  which is soo annoying at I have so much to tell you.

And I apologise for the formatting. ...I'm writing this on the app which is awful (and won't even let me add photos where I want them)

Tesco Orchard Review: Steak (1) - Steak, chips and Beans

Having never cooked steak before (yes I know!) I had to call on a friend for advice I was feeling a little scared about my next opportunity from Tesco's Orchard programme.  But I bit the bullet and

here's how it went.

Moving House: Involving your children on move day

Moving in T- 4 sleeps.  Actually moving day with the kids is not going to be too painful (she says giggling knowing she will be in work!).
Both boys are at school, unfortunately this means hubby will have to pick them up at  3 o'clock and they will be under feet after that time. So around about unpacking the van time unless we can find/ bribe someone to look after them

So just how do you cope with moving with little feet around?  Hopefully this guide will help whether you are going 10 minutes up the road like us and have them for half the day or whether you are going hundreds of miles with them in tow all day long.  If you can think of anything I've missed please mention it in the comments for others to see.

Move Day is drawing closer.....

After what seems like years the contracts were eventually signed yesterday and we get the keys to the new house on Thursday.  Typically it's this week that I have no chance what so ever of getting time off work so will have to trust the men to move everything .... a very scary thought.  However I have boxed or bagged pretty much everything to within an inch of my life so it should be easy enough for them,  I've also saved a huge box for dumping any last minute bits in on Wednesday night (after I get back from my bloggers night out... great timing eh!).

It's amazing just how much stuff you can hide in Attic eves and toy boxes, seriously who would have thought we would have sooo much stuff - and that's before you start taking the furniture to pieces.

And of course in the last week...........
.......... the kids have got orange paint over the upstairs playroom carpet
........... the husband has melted candle wax into the bedroom carpet.
............. the oven has broken down
...............I can't sleep!
................The job I've been waiting to be advertised finally has been.

Buyer Bingo

Another day ... Another Time waster.

If like me you've ever tried to sell an item (or indeed a huge declutter mission) or even if you are giving the item away for free you have probably come up against all the excuses under the sun as to why someone no longer wants it or couldn't be bothered to collect it when agreed.

Oh Yes, I've been there - waiting in until 1pm for someone to collect an item who doesn't turn up!   Spending time sending 6 or 7 emails back and forth to arrange collection for them to decide 20 minutes before pick-up they no longer need it.

The Ideal Home Show Manchester (part 2)

WOW what a day out ........  but where to start .......... the beginning??

After a delayed train from Sheffield, getting lost in Manchester and missing the bus and disorganised security staff at Event City I finally made it to the Red Tape (well green ribbon) opening of the Ideal Home Show 2015 for the start of their 4 days.

Whilst Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen entertained the crowds with his great sense of humour Amanda Lamb did that posing nicely for the cameras thing (ok yes I am very jealous of her ability to wear such amazing heels all day long!)   The ribbon was cut and we were in......