I don’t know if it’s just me but I’m really feeling these winter chills this year! As the days get darker, all I want to do is curl up in bed with a heavy fur throw, a hot chocolate and a good book.
It was a couple weeks ago was when I first felt the cold settle in. We live in a new build flat so pretty much it’s always warm but lately it’s been feeling really cold! I’ve definitely stocked up on my fair share of knit jumpers and joggers and fluffy throws and socks to keep me warm.
I adore wooden toys. There’s just something so lovely and magical about them. They’re also durable, sturdy and have a wonderful texture compared to plastic toys.
I just can’t believe how fast this year has gone by. It’s almost Christmas already! Three lockdowns later and we can finally get the chance to have a proper Christmas dinner with the rest of our family. We’ve just ordered a new dining table so we’re definitely going all out this December.
Waking up in the mornings – especially during the winter season – can be really challenging for both adults and children. Those cold, dark mornings make you just want to lie in bed for a few minutes longer, don’t they? If you have little ones that struggle with morning wakeups, it might be a good idea to look into getting an alarm clock if you don’t already have one. In our household, I would usually wake up the kids around 30mins after I get up. This is so I can get things like their uniforms, backpacks and breakfast prepared first. It helps to save a little bit of time but some days, I’m there standing at their bedside trying to physically drag them out of bed.
We were lucky enough to be sent two Sing My Name personalised kids’ alarm clocks. The kids were so excited that they had one each and couldn’t wait to give it a try the next morning…
Let your child wake up to the sound of their own name sung back to them with Sing My Name’s personalised alarm clock
Sing My Name Personalised Alarm Clock Review
The Sing My Name Personalised Kids’ Alarm Clock comes in four colours but a few of the colours have two designs so there’s a good variety to choose from. They are analog clocks which can encourage children to learn how to tell the time, something my Little Man still struggles with as everything we have to tell the time with is digital so for us, this is warmly welcomed. The clock requires three AA batteries – we buy our multipacks from Poundland which saves us money. There’s a snooze button by the alarm bells and an off-off switch at the back of the clock allowing you to turn it off easily when needed.
Key Features:
Personalised name sang to them when the alarm rings
Snooze button (which also functions as a demo button – so handy!)
On-off switch button at the back of the clock
Volume button so you can adjust how loud or quiet you want the alarm to be
Battery operated
Soundless seconds hand, no loud tick-tocking thanks to the silent ‘sweep’ mechanism
Glow in the dark minutes/hours hand
Reprogramming the sound of the alarm with your own music as many times as you want
These popular personalised kids’ clocks are sold at the infamous Hamleys toy store but due to current lockdown restrictions, the best way to get your hands on one of these is to order online. When ordering on the Sing My Name website, you’ll need to enter in the child’s name and there’s a sample play button so you can hear how the name will sound when the alarm rings. It’s inserted into a fun and lively wake-up song which is sweet however if the alarm music starts to get on your nerves you can easily change it to their favourite song by reprogramming it (MP3 format) as many times as you want.
When entering your child’s name, if the name is not recognised, don’t worry as they team will record it especially for you. There’s also an entry box for pronunciation which is great if your child’s name could be mis-pronounced. Talk about excellent service!
We are loving these cool and quirky kids alarm clocks!
Little Miss loves her pink clock and Little Man loves his blue clock – they really do make lovely personalised gifts for kids. These clocks could also make great Christmas gifts for kids if you’re stuck on ideas on what to buy. If you prefer gender-neutral colours instead of ones that are associated as ‘girls alarm clocks’ or ‘boys alarm clocks’ there’s orange and purple options to choose from too.
I wasn’t really sure of where to put the kids’ alarm clocks because my little ones don’t have a beside table. The clocks are compact enough to be placed on a shelf or window ledge so that helps. The glow in the dark clock hands might come in handy at night for you if you have older children – not so much for me right now as mine are still learning the time but it’s definitely a a helpful feature for time-training. Also the clock’s seconds hand runs so smoothly (thanks to the clever sweeping mechanism), you can’t hear it ticking at all. You might even decide to use the clock as a sleep trainer which would be really effective for waking up during darker mornings.
These clocks have really put a smile on my little ones’ faces and I’m so glad they’ve enjoyed them. Next step will be to add their own music to the alarm as my little monsters don’t seem to always wake up to the sound of their own name! LOL
For the full collection and more about Sing My Name alarm clocks, hit the ‘find out more’ button below:
Father’s Day is literally THIS SUNDAY and I’ve had this post in my draft for goodness knows how long! It ended up in my forgotten to do pile as I found myself busy doing many other projects at home like making a new PJ set for my little boy and a pair of leggings for my little girl. I then went on strictly focusing on homeschooling my little boy and forgot about myself in the process.
I did manage to get a couple of gifts for Daddy P and I hope he likes them. I bought him a personalised photo collage mug from Snapfish (it’s become a yearly F’day tradition!) and a Lego Porsche 911 set(so cheap and he loves his Lego!).
Last minute Father’s Day gift ideas
If you’re a little worse than me and haven’t yet got any ideas for father’s day gifts, here’s a few to throw at you…
For dads that are the sweetest or have a sweet tooth: Hotel Chocolat
A Few of His Favourite Things Collection / Credit: Hotel Chocolat
Does your hubby have a sweet tooth or appreciates premium quality chocolates? Hotel Chocolat released their Father’s Day collection last week and if you hurry (order by Friday) you will be able to receive your goodies in time for Sunday. My favourite out of the Father’s Day collection is the “a few of his favourite things” collection. The set contains a small bottle of chocolate-cream liqueur, ‘The Whisky Collection’ chocolate set, salted caramel puddles and a fossil-shaped dark chocolate block. Great for men that love booze-filled, dark chocolates.
John Lewis has a massive catalogue of board games for you to choose from. From brainteaser and trivial games, to solving mysteries and winning challenges there’s a game for every dad. A popular board game on the site was Gibson’s 221B Baker Street where you need to channel your inner Sherlock Holmes and play a detective to crack the clues and solve the case.
Love photos but they’re either all stored in your phone, on the cloud or somewhere digital? What happened to the good old days when we had photo albums?! I have always loved flicking through photo albums but printing them out individual then spending hours trying to get them into the fiddly album sleeves is a nightmare alone… but not to fear! We have photo books now and this mini one from Papier is stunning visually and super sweet. It’s a decent size to hold (prints will be 6.5″ x 6.5″) and the paper used is silk with a glossy sheen. There’s enough room for 30 photos (one photo per page) and three colour covers to choose from; green (Super Dad), blue (First Father’s Day) and white (Daddy & Me). If you don’t fancy this particular one, Papier have a few others you can choose from too.
Craft beer &crackling gift box / Credit: Borough Box
I really like the idea of gift boxes and this is a fantastic one. If your hubby appreciates a good cold craft beer and is missing the pub, this gift box should see him through the day. A variety of beers and crackling snacks as the perfect accompaniment. It’s big enough for sharing but he might want to enjoy this one by himself!
For dads that love cheesy novelty home gifts: Getting Personal
Personalised Heritage Blue Plaque / Credit: GettingPersonal.co.uk
Seriously, does it get any cheesier than this?! I really like this gift and find it hilarious but that just tells you what my sense of humour is like. You can write your own message with 5 lines of text to sum up your hubby. Choose from either a self-adhesive plaque or one with screw holes. It’s plastic so great for indoor or outdoor use. There are some fab gifts on this site for every occasion so have a little look through. A few things have caught my eye!
For dads that love a bit (or a lot) of luxury will adore this Soap & Musk gift box from Book Block. I’m loving this box, it’s super cute! Hubby will have super-soft premium cotton sock on his toosies, luxurious hair and body wash to soak with on bath days and a deep cleansing body soap bar to wash with on quick shower days. You can create a parent’s night in with a romantic dinner, this soap+musk candle burning in the background and either a good movie on or unwind to some feel-good music. Enjoy!
– Hope that’s given you some ideas to think about – if not then even a thoughtful home-cooked dinner, a card and some wine should go down a treat. Especially with dining out days currently on hold, a good meal and a movie might be all he wants. x
Father’s Day is this weekend already! I can’t believe how fast this year has flown by! Now officially in mid-June, summer is approaching and the warmer days we had a couple of weeks felt fantastic. I even tried out my Bondi Sands fake tan which was lovely – I need to write a review on that soon. Below are gift ideas I’ve got in mind for Daddy P but I hope they inspire you if you haven’t found anything just yet….
Father’s Day gift ideas
Something PERSONALISED
Personalised Photo Mug
For the last few years, a Father’s Day mug has always on the list for Daddy P. I usually order a personalised 15oz photo mug from Snapfish (£12.99) which was always big hit. I’ve ordered one again this year too! I love adding our own photos to the mug, it gives a personal touch which I think is a little special (and cheesy) but the kids love it. They’ve also got a promo code for 30% off your total basket with no minimum spend so get purchasing. They also offer next day delivery.
Source: Snapfish
**update** My personalised photo mug has arrived! I love it, it’s so sweet. The only thing I forgot to add to the mug was some text to say “Happy Father’s Day 2019!” …oops!
Stainless Steel Watch
I love simple yet stylish watches for men. With most of us constantly on our phones today I feel like sometimes we were slowly getting rid of functional accessories like watches. I found this beautiful stainless steel watch on Not On The High Street and best of all, it can be personalised and they have free standard delivery.
The silver colour stands out and is so stylish but they have a few other colours so have a look. For £69, it’s a good price too! There’s so much on websites like NOTHS and Etsy I love looking for special and unique items to buy. At the moment (for myself!) I’m obsessed with dainty necklaces and personalised bracelets. Check out NOTHS’s fathers day gifts for even more ideas.
Something ESSENTIAL
Skincare & Grooming Kits
It’s good to look after yourself; self-care is one of the things most people tend to overlook in themselves. Daddy P is lucky he has good skin (not oily, not dry) however he doesn’t do anything to look after it. Men usually like to keep their skincare simple so the basic essentials are key; to cleanse, tone, exfoliate and moisturise.
These two kits below are my favourite; the Look Fantastic Father’s Day collection which has a mix of face and body products from premium brands. And the Aromatherapy Associates The Refinery kit is a new favourite of mine which comes with a wash bag. I use this brand at my workplace and I’ve really fallen in love with it. I’ve already gotten Daddy P the face wash and shave oil which is fab and suitable for all skin types.
The Look Fantastic Father’s Day Collection box
Aromatherapy Associates: The Refinery Skin Kit for men
Cleansing clears the skin of dirt and debris build-up, preps the skin and leaves it fresh. Toner tones the skin and minimises large pores, and leaves the skin matte yet hydrated for the absorption of the moisturiser. Exfoliating (especially if they shave) helps to buff away dead skin cells and reduces ingrown hairs as the pores are clear, allowing the hair follicle to grow out of the skin instead of inwards (which happens when the pores are blocked with dirt or natural oils). I would also recommend a beard/shave oil for those growing a beard. The oil will help to nourish the skin but also condition the beard hair, keeping it soft. Moisturiser is the last step and works as a barrier against daily pollutants and keeps the skin hydrated and moisturised.
Something FUN
Rooftop Cinema
If your man prefers something a little more active, why not take him out for an evening of fun? I’ve picked outdoor cinema or a raving night out at Ballie Ballerson. The Rooftop Film Club hosting in Peckham is showing Schwarzenegger’s classic, The Terminator on Father’s Day. You can book tickets directly from the RFC’s website: https://rooftopfilmclub.com/london/bussey-building/film/the-terminator-1984/
Rooftop cinemas offer a new kind of experience
Adult Ball Pit Fun
Ballie Ballerson is an adult-only cocktail bar that has its very own giant ball-pit! So if you and your partner want to bring out your inner child and just spend a night together feeling like kids again, this is not a place to miss out! Tickets are from £7.50pp for admission only or you can go all out with a VIP package which includes food and a designated booth for £25/35pp.
Who said the ball pit was only for kids to enjoy?
Something SPECIAL
Daddy P LOVES football and I’ve just found a deal TravelZoo for Behind-the-Scenes tour tickets to Wembley stadium… just £9! That’s almost 52% off the standard price. Best thing of all is tickets can be redeemed up until September so he can choose to use it now for Father’s Day or choose to wait for another day when he’s ready to use it. A behind-the-scenes tour is a guided and self-guided tour of the stadium including the footballer’s dressing rooms, the press room, the player’s tunnel, pitch side and the Royal Box. Imagine all those insta-worthy photo moments!
Daddy P’s been talking about going to Barcelona but hasn’t been able to get round to it. Between juggling parenting and job hunting it’s been a struggle. Weekend breaks work out really well because you can travel but still be back in time for parenting duties. I love looking for my holiday breaks from OnTheBeach.com so naturally I had a search for Father’s Day trips to Barcelona and found some good deals. You can either search for flights and hotel separately or let On The Beach’s deal finder search for you. I found the following deals for 2 adults; 2 nights in Barcelona (flights & hotel) flying out from London Stansted:
It’s not called The Mirror for nothing. Photos of the hotel show that the rooms are loaded with mirrors from the bedroom to bathroom but in a very playful and tasteful way. Great for us ladies to check out our outfits and makeup throughout the day.
The price is reasonable and the Tripadvisor ratings look good too. The hotel offers free WiFi, air conditioning, pool and close to local amenities.
This was the best low budget option I found on the site. Pretty decent price and the hotel looks really nice and modern. With not a lot of hotel amenities apart from air-conditioning and WIFI access, it’s pretty basic. But if you’re not fussed and rather spend more on exploring the city and other things, this place could be a contender.
Their TripAdvisor rating looks good and they have free WiFi which is perfect for a short weekend break.
If you want to pull out all the stops this Father’s Day, this is the hotel for you. Hotel Meliá has a lot to offer in terms of room quality, style, and service.
This 5 star hotel has a spa on-site so you can treat yourself (and hubby!) to a relaxing massage or spa day in the evening on your mini-break. Free WiFi, air conditioning and a gym are standard amenities and the location is a short car journey from the beach.
I love finding a good bargain so when things I like go on sale, I try my utmost to grab a bargain. However, what I hate most about store sales are the long queues, the messy sales racks, and simply… the crazy shoppers.
Since I’ve gotten older I just find sales shopping really overwhelming, overbearing and claustrophobic. Nowadays I just shop online from my mobile or computer and enjoy the fact that I don’t have to step foot into a store, queue up for hours or interact with anyone. Just me and my computer/mobile. Happy times.
I recently came across a sales site called lovethesales.com. They’re a bit like a Google search engine for sale items. From what I’ve gathered, the website pulls through thousands of sale items that are currently on offer from hundreds of online retailers for us to ogle at and buy. The website caters to all departments; womenswear, menswear, kidswear, home & outdoor furniture, kids toys… the lot. The retailers the site pulls through ranges from cheap and cheerful high-street stores to your high-end retailers like Ralph Lauren, French Connection, etc.
However like any good deal, the items are only on the site for a limited time then new ones are added. Once that happens, if you’re too late you can miss out on a really good deal. I had my eyes set on a brilliant train set from Toys R Us that was £24.99, down from £49.99 but as I was too busy contemplating for a couple of days whether it’d be a useful gift, when it came to the day I wanted to buy it the deal was gone. Bummer. Continue reading “LoveTheSales.com: The place to go (online) for shopping sales!”→
So, after a long time of only shopping online, I finally ventured into the outside world and went to my local TK Maxx store for a bit of shopping. I could’ve bought so much more but my budget was stretched enough with the stuff that I got. Here’s what I got for around £60.
Sakroots Beauty Bag, £14.99
I love this makeup case/beauty bag so much! When I saw it I was instantly in love with it. I found loads of other Sakroots makeup cases but this one was my fave because of the unique shape and the wonderful embroidery at the top edge of the bag. It’s got a beautiful lining inside as well complete with a small side pouch that has a zip.
Super Facialist Deep Clean Mattifying Moisturiser, £4.99
I really couldn’t believe how cheap this was so had to purchase it to test it out. I’m currently using my Dermalogica Oil Control lotion with my Aveda Outer Peace moisturiser which is proving a bit costly especially when I am trying to save for LO’s bday I need a cheaper alternative. It’s lightweight but not watery and leaves my combination-skin nicely moisturised. It also contains salicylic acid which is a key ingredient for acne-prone skin as it helps keep blemishes at bay.
Skin Smoothie Retexturising Glycolic Pads (10% Glycolic acid), £9.99
While I had fun looking for a new moisturiser, I also got super giddy when I found these bad boys. These glycolic pads were going to be my new best friend. I’ve had glycolic peels in the past at Skin Clinic which was fabulous but I really couldn’t afford £60 every 2 weeks to maintain it. These pads are not as strong (concentration wise) as the clinic’s however they will do the job for now until I can afford it. I gave a pad a try yesterday and thought it worked a treat on my skin. After I applied it I could feel my skin tingling away and within minutes, I noticed my skin looked a little smoother and glowing. There’s 16 pads in there which should last for at least 8 weeks if you’re using 2 pads a week.
OPI Nail Polish in “Barre My Soul”, £3.99 I love OPI polishes so when I discovered this sheer nude shade I had to buy it! It will replace my Barry M polish in Nude which is running out. Both are very sheer shades so I’m expecting to put on about 3 layers before I get the colour I want. Sheer shades can be hard to apply as they can become streaky but if this OPI is anything like my Barry M it should be a doddle as it’s not a streaky colour. I paid £3.99 for this full sized bottle which is a seriously good price for an OPI polish.
Seche Vite Fast Dry Top Coat, £3.99 From my nail salon days, I loved using Seche Vite’s top coat. It always goes on the nail beautifully and the shine is amazing. Luckily, so far most of my polishes have been shiny without a top coat but I’d always recommend using top coats because not only does it make the polish extra-shiny, it also helps to keep the colour on for longer.
That’s all I got for my beauty haul. I also bought a couple more things; Ralph Lauren sandals for LO which are amazing and looks comfortable on him and a vanilla & honey scented reed diffuser. I am going to return the diffuser as I really didn’t like the smell of it – it smelt nothing like honey or vanilla but a weird sweet smell instead.
Something for LO and home
I recently purchased some vanilla-scented reed diffusers from Poundland which were amazing. The smell was lingered for ages and at only £1 I’d be mad not to return the one I got from TK Maxx for them.
It’s nearly payday and I’ve been looking at a few things to get LO for his bedroom. I want to revamp it soon but I’m not sure whether I want to paint it, or leave it white and just use self-adhesive borders and stickers instead to decorate it.
I recently bought these really cute cloud self-adhesive hooks from Ebay. I then had a light-bulb moment and thought why not use clouds as a theme?
Cheap self-adhesive cloud hooks from Ebay
My Etsy Wishlist
I took some time out to look through what Etsy had to offer because I thought it would be easier to find cloud decor on there than anywhere else. I tried to look on Ebay but there was nothing worthy of purchasing. After trolling through Etsy for an hour and a half I found some wonderful cloud themed items and a little something for myself along the way. 🙂
I was really surprised to find so many cloud designs on there! I really love the ceramic plate, the cloud shelf and raindrop hooks. They’re just too cute and exactly what I’ve been looking for. 🙂
The wall hanging and skincare set is just a little something that I’d like for myself (I love Moroccan inspired things) and the baby shower gift is simply adorable and will come in handy for the few mother-to-be’s that I know. At my previous workplace I received a similar gift but it was in the form of a bouquet which was beautiful and a really thoughtful gift. If you’re still not too sure what it is; it’s a selection of bodysuits, socks, hats or bibs rolled up to look like cupcakes in this case. If you would like to know what the bouquet looks like, check out this one from Baby Blooms.
Is there anything you’ve found on Etsy that you love? Let me know with a comment below.
It’s called the Orlando bag by the online retailer, JustFab – they are a subscription service (I love my subscriptions!) but you can ‘skip’ each month so that you aren’t charged for that month and can continue the membership. Or alternatively, just message the company via email to cancel and they will do it for you with no charge… Perfect!
If you fancy subscribing to give it a try, they have an offer for 2 pairs for £35 on signup – brilliant!
Go and check out what the site has to offer, I can guarantee there will be something on there that will catch your eye. The online retailer sells shoes, bags, clothing, and accessories and every item is made to a good quality. They are JustFab’s own branded items so don’t expect any special designer labels. This site is great for people who don’t like snobby labels and just want something that is well made and well priced for its quality.
To be honest, I was quite skeptical at first with my bag because it’s all online; I couldn’t see it (in real life), nor touch it, nor smell it, nothing. So I didn’t know what to expect but thought to myself River Island bags sell for £40 easily so why not get this bag that costs £35 and not many people will have it and hope for the best… and I am so glad that I did!
It’s the best shoulder bag I have so far. The design is gorgeous. I still wish it was a bit smaller and would be great if it was made into a backpack – I would so buy it! The Orlando also comes in tan brown but the white is so much better. JustFab have also just launched their Spring collection which looks amazing filled with bright colours, big tropical prints and statement accessories to match.
So, after a long time of only shopping online, I finally ventured into the outside world and went to my local TK Maxx store for a bit of shopping. I could’ve bought so much more but my budget was stretched enough with the stuff that I got. Here’s what I got for around £60.
Wandering.Mother 