Funky Giraffe Christmas Stocking Review

Funky Giraffe are best known for their fantastic range of baby bibs, socks and other delightful accessories sure to make your baby look like a star but this year they have a new Christmas 2013 range featuring these wonderful stockings!

The stockings are absolutely gorgeous. You only have to feel them to know they are made from high quality material and are super thick, not like the thin cheaper stockings which you can find on the high street. They are deep enough that Santa will have no problems in fitting in all those little treats on Christmas eve.

Aalliyah has already got hers ready for the big man. I think I need to follow the pattern here and get the rest of the decorations up now! These stockings start from only £8 and you can even get a personalized one from as little as £10. Perfect for making those first Christmas's extra special.

Why not head over to Funky Giraffe and see all the wonderful things they have to offer. From dribble bibs to socks, you are sure to find something you'll love.

Corned Beef Bolognese - Princes Recipe Challenge

I was recently contacted by the wonderful people at Princes who were looking for bloggers to take part in a recipe challenge. As a mum I am always on the look out for quick and simple meal ideas which are equally affordable yet healthy. I was eager to take part and received some samples of Princes 3 new corned beef flavors that are now available. Corned beef with Chilli , mustard and onions. Typically when cooking with corned beef, people usually do a corned beef hash or stew so I was eager to try something different. The rules were simple, to cook up a quick and tasty dish using only the corned beef samples and other ingredients costing only £5 or less and it had to be done in 20 minutes or less.

So I decided I was going to make a super simple corned beef bolognese. Yes, different I know and not what you would normally associate corned beef with but if you never try new things you will never know if you like them!

So I went with the corned beef with chilli as I like a little kick to my meals. Here are my other ingredients used:

I make that a grand total of just £2.14 (loose onion cost 20 pence) for all the extra ingredients.. Even the seasoning!! 

Method:

Start by gently frying the chopped onion and a few crushed garlic cloves.

When they start to soften and brown, add in the corned beef (roughly diced)

Gently fry the ingredients until the corned beef starts to soften and cook.

Add in the chopped tomatoes and a dash of herbs and leave simmering for 10-15 mins stirring once or twice.

After 10 minutes add spaghetti to a pan of already boiling water.

Once pasta is cooked drain and serve immediately with the bolognese mixture on top.

Then simply enjoy!

This meal was a big hit with my fussy eater and has been requested for dinner again and given that it cost so little I will gladly oblige! 

All these new flavors will are now available in Sainsburys stores nationwide at £1.99 rrp.

*I was sent a sample pack including various flavors and a gift card for the purpose of purchasing ingredients. All thoughts and recipe ideas are 100% honest and my own.

Heat Holders Review and *Giveaway*

Its official, winter is well and truly here. Even as I write this I am full of flu shivering away in a dressing gown and 2 pairs of socks! Sometimes its just so hard to get warm and stay warm. I was lucky enough to review some gorgeous socks recently. Heat holders are wonderful socks that are proven to lock in heat and keep you feeling warm. 

They come with a tog rating just like your duvet and they literally raise your body temperature in minutes! I love them! They are extremely comfortable to wear even with boots and wellies as well as just around the house. They have a super warm fleece lining and should be in "everyone's" stocking this year.

I'm giving three lucky cold footed people the change to win some for themselves. Fancy bagging a pair? Then just enter the simple rafflecopter below! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*I was sent a pair of Heatholders for the purpose of my review. All opinions are 100% honest and my own.

Forgotten Birthdays

With so much emphasis right now on Christmas and finding the perfect gift a lot of those December born people seem to get a lot less thought put into finding the perfect gift. I am a December baby and have both my nieces and brother in laws birthday in the same week as my own. Yes there are plenty of Christmas gifts in the high street but I love birthdays as they are all about that one person and I love seeking out unique and sometimes novelty gifts. I am a sucker for personalized items too! There is nothing more unique than a gift tailored just for you and there is a lot less chance of them selling it if they are not too keen! ;-) (Not that my family would ever dream of doing such a thing- I hope!)

Do you put more thought into birthday or Christmas presents? Or do you like me, always like to surprise people with interesting gifts? My sisters birthday has been recently and given that she has a new found love of wine (something she barely touched before now) I was looking for a wine related gift, maybe a personalized wine glass or a funky wine bottle stopper, something really interesting and unique and I came across this fabulous wine cork cage from Homewetbar which stores all of your corks in a fun and decorative way as well as acting as a funky wine bottle holder also. 

I truly believe that it is always better to give than receive. No matter who you are buying for or for what reason, there is no greater feeling than watching someones delight when unwrapping a wonderful gift that you have taken the time and effort to ensure that its something unique and interesting and ultimately something that they will love.

Do you enjoy putting thought into peoples gifts? Or are you one of these people that go out the day before and just grab the first thing you see? What fun and novelty items have you given or received in the past? I'd love to know :-)

*This post was written in collaboration with Homewetbar.com

Braun ExactFit 5 Blood Pressure Monitor Review

Having high blood pressure is just one of the many risk factors for developing heart disease and or circulatory problems and the worrying thing is that as many as 5 million people in the UK are walking around undiagnosed with high blood pressure. With high blood pressure increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke it is imperative that we take blood pressure seriously and take measures to ensure we stay at a healthy level.

The only way to know what your blood pressure is, is to get it measured. It is recommended that everyone over the age of 40 get there blood pressure monitored regularly to asses their risk of getting heart disease or suffering a stroke, but with the increasing amount of younger people being diagnosed with diabetes and obesity it seems that people who are suffering or at risk of high blood pressure are getting younger and younger. Having suffered with my weight in the past I suffered with high blood pressure and the fact that my mum is a diabetic If I had carried on the way I was going, I would have certainly ran into some serious health issues. Thankfully after shedding over 5 stone so far, my blood pressure has returned to normal and a previous diagnosis of inter cranial hypertension along with problem with my eyes has dramatically reduced.

I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to review a fantastic new blood pressure monitor from Braun. The ExactFit 5 . The monitor itself is really simple to use and features a large display screen making the readings really easy to understand. The soft inflation means that it is far more comfortable than other upper arm blood pressure monitors which can sometimes feels very painful and restricting when inflated.

I really wanted to give this monitor a thorough road testing so I gave it to my sister who is a District nurse. She visits countless patients everyday and has to cover a wide range of counties so having quality equipment is a must. I gave her the ExactFit 5 to see how her previous models would measure up. All she received was positive feedback on the monitor. The patients have expressed how comfortable it is when in use and being that it is so simple to input and extract data from it makes the whole process quick and easy. The monitor comes with an additional different sized cuff which is also a plus and comes with a smart little carry case which means she can always have it with her. It has certainly made that aspect of her job a lot more simple and continues to use the ExactFit 5 everyday now. 

You can find the ExactFit 5 over at Boots right now and its currently on sale at only £69.99!

For further details visit www.braunbloodpressuremonitors.co.uk .Packed full of information and advice, Brauns new microsite includes tips on controlling your blood pressure as well as practical videos showing you how to fit your blood pressure monitor and understand your measurements.The Braun blood pressure monitors are available nationwide at selected Boots stores.Visit the microsite for more information.

*I was given a Braun ExactFit 5 blood pressure monitor for the purpose of my review. All opinions are 100% honest and my own.

Keeping Your Children Safe Online

As a parent of a pre teen girl, there is nothing more worrying than her safety. As much as I worry about her staying safe outside in the big wide world, there are even more reasons to be cautious when she is indoors and online. You hear horror stories everyday about terrible things that happen online from cyber-bullying to grooming, and with using the internet becoming more and more of a necessity for our children, especially with school work how can we ensure we are doing the very best in keeping our children safe online? There are ever increasing opportunities for children to get online now. Through laptops, smart phones, tablets and games consoles. By following these simple steps you can ensure that your children stay safe when online and still enjoy all the wonderful benefits of the “World Wide Web”.

• Brush Up Your Own Knowledge of the Web - The more you understand about the internet, the easier it will be to inform your children. Make sure you are aware of the different sites your children will be visiting. Get used to browsing different sites including social networking sites. Remember if it’s easy for you to find online it will be easy for them too!

• Keep The Internet “In Sight” – Whether they are using laptops, tablets or even their smart phones, make sure your children are always using the internet where everyone can see. Never allow them to be locked away in their bedroom or out of sight from anyone.

• Explain The Dangers That Can Be Found Online – If you feel your children are mature enough to be using the web then they should be mature enough to understand the different dangers inherent to being online and when using social media. Explain the different situations that they could find themselves in and always make sure they know exactly what to do and who to inform if any such situations occur.

• Use Filtering Software – There are many marvellous software programmes available to purchase and or download which block out adult/harmful/explicit material. Most programmes can be tailored to block our different sites and content according to the parents’ specifications that are set.

• Always Be Open And Honest – Always be open with your children. If they have questions about the internet and or its dangers, be honest and explain things truthfully. The more open you are with them the more likely they are to be open with you if anything should happen online. Having an honest and open understanding of what they get up to online will ensure they feel comfortable to come to you should they encounter any trouble online.

There are many resources online for children and parents so if you are in need of any advice then do look around online and stay safe.

My Big Night In

The X-factor has recently returned to our screens which for me means one thing.. Christmas is well and truly on the way. With the sub zero temperatures outside, the nights drawing in at 4 o'clock and the return of some great Saturday night TV many of us are ditching the girls night out plans and making do with a night in front of the goggle box. Since becoming a parent I find that I don't necessarily go out as much as some of my friends who don't have children, but surprisingly that doesn't bother me in the slightest. People (without children) always ask me how I cope without going out all the time! Quite easily actually as I can still find happiness and fulfilment without going out every single weekend. It’s so annoying when people assume because you have children and commitments and choose not to spend every free night hitting the town that you are somehow missing out. I love a night out with the girls, granted it doesn't happen very often but its makes it much more enjoyable when we do meet up and go out together.

Now as much as I love a good night out, I love nothing more than my home comforts. Whether it’s getting the girls round for a catch up with some good food and a bottle of fizz or simply vegging out with Aalliyah and catching up with some latest movies. I must admit the latter seems to happen the most regular!  We are always back and forth from Blockbuster, popcorn and DVD's in hand.

I am a huge movie buff so when it comes to choosing between going out on the town and fighting frostbite or staying indoors with the heating on, some good comfort food and the latest movie release I know what I would prefer (Most of the time anyway) .. and it seems I am not alone in this as a whopping 70% of ladies prefer a night in. Nights out can also prove to be very expensive and although there is lots of fun and excitement to be had hitting the latest clubs there is no reason why a night in has to be a sombre event. Here are some top tips to have the best girls night "IN" ever!

• Have a pamper session - Dig out the towels and indulge in some DIY spa treatments. Manicures, facials, pedicures... Have fun relaxing and socialising while treating each other to some much needed TLC.
• Play Games - Games are not just for children. Some of the funniest nights I have ever had included playing games. From the bog standard board games to some truth or dare. Let out your adolescent side and have some fun playing games.
• Movie Marathons - You can't beat a good movie. Weather it’s a chick flick or a good action movie (purely for the eye candy) All bring a movie and have a movie marathon. You could go from watching Harry Potter to Die hard! Just don't forget the munchies!
• Theme nights - Why not make a theme for the evening. Maybe you could dig out your leg warmers and hair crimpers and have an eighties night. Just don't forget the music!
  
  

There are so many ways to have fun without having to leave the house and a night in is most definitely the new night out! What do you like to do to have fun when staying in? I'd love to hear your girls night in essentials. I have a feeling wine is going to be top of most peoples lists.

*This post is in collaboration with Ladbrokes Bingo

** Survey conducted on over 2000 women in UK