Working together to help Lily-mai #Lilyswish

Hi there I am writing this post on behalf of my lovely friend Liz and her children Lily 3,Blake 10 and Chloe 14.

On 15th July 2014 their life's changed drastically after Lily fell and bumped her head she was very sleepy and began to vomit which resulted in her mum calling 111 who sent out an ambulance,after being rushed to hospital and having a CT scan to rule out any bleeds on the brain they found a brain tumor.Since this Lily has had surgery to remove the tumor and put on an intensive course of chemotherapy.The brain tumor Lily has is called MEDULLOBLASTOMA. Lily has had weekly blood draws,a permanent shunt put in to help keep the fluid building up on her brain and a Hickman line put in for treatment.Lily has spent the months since being diagnosed in and out of hospital and sadly upon having her last results her mum and dad were told some bad news,her tumor has grown and spread and isn't responding to chemotherapy sadly meaning her chances of survival are now non existent. Radiotherapy is out of the question as Lily is too fragile for it without treatment this means that Lily has just months to live or with a low dose of chemotherapy to maintain it she may have 12-18 months(if shes lucky).

How can you help?

Myself and the rest of our May 2011 mummies have joined forces to help Lily and her family by re-tweeting #lilyswish on twitter we have already arranged for a photographer to take some lovely images that they can treasure always and  we are are now trying to put together a little hamper of goodies to surprise Lily,her mum Liz and dad and her siblings Chloe and Blake. we are very open minded our goal is for them to know we are all thinking of them at this time and are with them every step of the way we are looking for brands/companies/pr's/bloggers generally anyone willing and wanting to help in any way with a donation of any kind,examples include:

• smellies
• cinema vouchers
• days out tickets
• maybe tickets to see a show
• clothing/high street vouchers
• toys
• hair products
• gaming products
• anything personalized to help remember Lily
• supermarket vouchers

Anything we are open to to make their life even just a little bit easier and hopefully help in having and creating some fun,loving family memories. we have a 4 week deadline which started as of 15th march -15th April to receive donations you can still donate after this period but you must send directly to Liz as a surprise treat instead. xx

What will I do for you?

I will be putting together a blog post of anyone that gets involved,I will ask you for a image of what you are donating that I can add to the blog post along with a link to your website/blog ect and also a message from you for Lily and her family.Our friend Leanne who is also a fellow May 2011 mummy who all donated gifts will be sent to will be getting a basket or box and decorating it before filling with the donated goodies and hand delivering it to surprise the whole family. She will also take a few photo's that I can use on my blog and on Facebook and Twitter to thank each and everyone of you.

If you would like to get involved please leave me your contact email in the comments below or contact me directly using the information on the bottom of my me and my family and how to contact me tab above.

Also don't forget to follow Lily's progress on her Facebook page Lily's Cancer Journey. BUT DON'T LET ON ABOUT THIS,ITS A SECRET SURPRISE REMEMBER! ;)

Comic Relief/Red Nose Day

It's time for Comic relief,time to face the funny!

We opted to paint our noses this year instead of buy the squishy noses purely as we are full of colds,on top of this we brought tops and accessories.
Here is us taking part have you decided to take part too?

P.S  Don't forget to donate!

Little beau chic Giveaway

Little beau chic the family run  place to go if you want to find very cute outfits and accessories, they hold a limited amount of stock so you will be rest assured that your child can go out/have a play date or party ect in the knowledge that there wont be at least 2 or 3 children with the exact same outfit.with constant new additions to the website be sure to keep checking and don't forget to sign up for the newsletter and follow their blog!

Items ranges include:

• baby boys,girls and unisex clothing for ages 0-18 months
• girls clothing for ages 2-8 years
• boys clothing for ages 2-8 years
• And a range of accessories including bibs,hats,sunglasses,socks,tights and booties.

Here are just a few examples of lush Spring products they sell!

Little beau chic have very kindly offered one of my readers the chance to win a £20 voucher to spend on their range online,there is so much to choose from and they currently have a sale so why not go and check them out while you wait to see if you are the lucky winner.

In order to stand a chance of winning just fill out the Rafflecopter form below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Ella's Kitchen Snacking Range Review.

Ella's Kitchen Snacks Review.


Recently we heard about Ella's Kitchens new snacking range.my son has always loved their range so when we was accepted to try some we couldn't wait!

We received a large box included was:

• Tomatoes & Basil nibbles
• Raspberries & Bananas nibbles
• Raisins & Spelt cookies
• Oat & Spelt cookies
• Chicken Casserole pouch
• Carrots & Lentils mutigrain sticks
• Thai Curry pouch
• Cheddar & Leeks multigrain wheels

plus more!

My son loved the nibbles in both flavors and the cookies,he especially loved the Raisin & Spelt cookies he pretty much went through half a bag in one sitting!

I will be honest he didn't take to either of the pouches,I do feel this is more down to the texture though with him having special needs hes really sensitive about smells and textures the Thai curry I think was more down to the smell he literally wouldn't even try it and the Chicken Casserole he had one mouthful but refused any more. The Cheddar & Leek wheels were a massive hit not only with my son but also with his sister and brother too! they even took some nibbles in their packed lunch along with raisins and bread sticks(At their request I shall add)

The Ella's Kitchen was thoroughly enjoyed by all and I will most certainly keep buying my kids favorites whenever we do our weekly shop and even better we won a Stand up for snacks competition so now have a bigger supply of Ella's Kitchen Snacks, Win!

Go grab some now and join in the Ella's Kitchen Snacking Craze!

Show your mum you care with a helping hand from Made With Love.

Made with love Designs is an online boutique and design studio in the UK making personalized greeting cards,wedding and events stationary,Interiors products and gifts.All unique and sourced from around the world.

So Mothers day is around the corner and its that time where we look to buy gifts and cards and if you are like me then you like to have something that's that little bit different which is where Made With Love comes in.

I was sent the Alice In Wonderland mothers day card priced at £4.50
The first thing I noticed besides the pure beauty of the design was the great quality card being used,certainly not your normal cheap shop brought quality,I loved the red polka dot ribbon which for me really makes this card stand out as well as the shiny gloss on the card itself.On the inside of the card itself it is left blank so you can put your own message however you can also opt to have a message put inside the card for an extra £2,00 also you have two options of card itself you can either have the card with a red envelope for £4.50 or you can get the card inside a white box with a plain red ribbon for £7.00,the cards can then either be sent to you so you can hand deliver your card or sent directly to the recipient.

You can order Mothers Day Cards until noon on Friday 13th march ready to be received before Mothers Day.

Made With Love is well worth a visit so why not use Mothers Day as the perfect excuse to get treating!

Made With Love Designs LTD on Facebook

InfaCare Baby Bath Review

InfaCare is ultra-mild and PH balanced with masses of long-lasting bubbles,which makes it very popular at baby's bath time,and as a little goes a long way mummies love it too!

I was recently sent two sample bottles of InfaCare to test and review on my son we received the baby bath's one being the night time baby bath. I have just finished the bottles and even though they were only samples I am really impressed with how long they have lasted not only that but you only need a little bit to create alot of bubbles in the bath which is great as my son loves bubble baths.On top of this I think that the fact that it is very mild is brilliant as my son has eczema and I have noticed that even though my sons eczema will never be actually cured it has been a lot calmer,less rashy and on top of that my son has been scratching a lot less.One other fantastic thing I have found is that with the night time baby bath my son has become very sleepy afterwards which is brilliant for his bedtime routine!

You can buy InfaCare products from:

• Asda
• Boots
• The Co-Operative
• Lloyds pharmacy
• Morrisons
• Sainsbury's
• Tesco
• Wilkinson

Plus from Amazon,Ebay and Major stores websites.

Eton Mess

Eton Mess

What you will need for 4 people:

• 400g Strawberries(fresh or tinned)hulled and roughly chopped
• 300ml double cream
• 4 meringue nests

Method:

• Chop 100g of the strawberries and press through a fine sieve using the back of a wooden spoon,to make a smooth puree,set aside.
• Roughly chop the rest of the strawberries,whip the cream in a large bowl to soft peaks.Break the meringue nests into small pieces then gently and lightly fold into the cream with the chopped stawberries.
• Divide between small bowls and serve each one drizzled with the strawberry puree + a few chopped strawberries.

Trolley Bags Review

Trolly Bags Review

Trolley bags are a system of reusable shopping bags that are used to pack your shopping at the supermarket checkout.

It's that time of the week when you have to brave doing the weekly shop! Now I love the whole food shopping visit generally I go with our youngest son when the others have gone to bed and take my time to find everything on the list as well as browsing for future meal ideas and any clearance bargains,However....I hate the whole loading onto the conveyor belt followed by hastily throwing food into bags while waiting shoppers tut and get disgruntled while I hurry the best I can while also trying to distract a by now bored 3 year old! Then along came the Trolley Bags from Shopping Sorted.Co.UK.

Trolley bags come in a set of 4 bags of different sizes,they attach to each other by strips of Velcro,they come rolled up with handles to hang onto the trolley or in my case i slip them into the small section in the trolley as otherwise my son cant get his legs in the seat.They are so easy to use one all your shopping is on the conveyor belt ready to be packed you simply attach them with the biggest one at the back as it fits the whole of the trolly and the smallest one at the end(which i find works best to sit inside the small section) the poles at the top of the bags help hold them in place on top of the trolley,then you are hands free to pack your bags! I love these not only because of the perfect sizes and the vibrant colours but also how fantastically easy they are to use,and best thing they don't collapse as you try to put your shopping in.

When you need to put your shopping into your car you simply pull them gently apart from the Velcro, each bag has its own two handles so you then just pick them up like normal,Now I don't drive but luckily the taxi guys around here are really nice and allowed me to take a photo of the Trolley bags in the car for you and as you can see they fit really nicely.

Once home and unpacked I simply attached them with the Velcro again and rolled them up ready for the next trip each bag is numbered so you never have to worry about getting it wrong.Trolley Bags have certainly made my shopping trips 100% easier and I'm sure even on the trips we decide to make to do the shopping with all 5 kids in tow it will be a breeze to get done.

Things I love:

• Easy to use
• Lightweight material,so easy to carry to the store
• Good sizes,perfect to fit on the trolley
• fab bright colours
• Brilliant value for money with a set of these bags costing just £16.99 + £4.99 P&P

Things I didn't like:

• I think it would be better if the bags were made of all fabric instead of part netting as I feel the bags would last longer plus when I try to attach together again the Velcro keeps catching the netting which is kind of annoying

I recommend the Trolley Bags to everyone whether you are a busy workaholic always short on time so wanting to get in and out fast or a hectic parent,these bags make shopping so much easier you will wonder how on earth did you manage without them.

Check out Trolley Bags on Packingsorted.co.uk

Trolley Bags on Facebook

Trolley Bags on Twitter

Apple Crumble

Apple Crumble

What you will need for 4 people:

• 3 large cooking apples(when using cooking apples add 1-2 tablespoons of sugar per apple+ for extra taste add 1/2 spoonful of cinnamon before topping with the crumble mixture)
• 3 tablespoons of caster sugar
• 3 tablespoons water
• 125g plain white flour
• 75g butter
• 25g demerara sugar
• 50g porridge oats
• ovenproof dish

Method:

• peel,core and slice the cooking apples and put them at the bottom of the oven proof dish
• sprinkle with caster sugar and water
• mix the flour,butter and brown sugar until they are like breadcrumbs.
• stir in the oats and put the mixture on top of the apples.
• bake at 190C for 40-45 minutes
• Allow to cool slightly then serve with custard,cream or vanilla ice-cream

One Pot Chicken Pepper Bake

One Pot Chicken Pepper Bake

What you will need to serve 2 people:

• 4 chicken thighs
• 2 large peppers,1 yellow,1 red cut into long strips
• 250g new potatoes,washed and skins kept on,left whole
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons Italian mixed herbs
• a small handful of roughly chopped fresh parsley.

Method:

• Heat oven to 200C,Start with a large shallow baking tray,add the chicken,peppers,potatoes,oil and herbs and using clean hands,mix everything together so that the oil and herbs are evenly covered.
• Spread everything back out on the tray and bake on the middle oven shelf for 40-45 minutes or until the potatoes are tender,the chicken is golden and crisp and the peppers are juicy and sweet.(after 20 minutes give everything a toss through)
• serve onto plates along with a warm baguette and green salad.

                           

Meta Cortex Review

Meta Cortex 
Meta Cortex started in 2006 as a hobby project to create pop culture,movie and tv t.shirts for print on demand companies. In 2011 due to popularity Meta Cortex became a full time commitment and started taking the already existing wealth of designs created in their catalogue and began printing and selling their own garments inhouse.

Meta Cortex the place to go for your Movie/TV geek and nerd related T.shirts and Hoodies plus with the new addition of printed Mugs.

I was recently sent a mystery goody box full of geeky treats straight from their shelves.

Click the link below to watch my YouTube unboxing!

  Meta Cortex Unboxing

Mario Brothers,Plumbing Services,555 It's-A-Me. RRP £14.99(woman's)

I love Mario Brothers It's one of the first games I remember playing as a kid,It's also one that my own children have got used to watching,then playing and needless to say have fallen in love with.

I love the bright green colour,It fits really well just maybe a bit snug around the waist(but that's why I go to the gym to sort the extra weight in that area) so that tops that are snug also look great doing so,a really nice fit around the arms and bust.

OH MY GOD!! I HAVE AN ARNIE MUG!!!!!!! I LOVE it!!

I love Arnie films in a big way I think the last action hero was one of the first ones I watched with him in and have loved him ever since....I have yet to use this mug purely as I love it so much I don't want it getting dirty! I will though but until then I will just relish fawning over it.

Ghostbusters! RRP £22.99  Another favorite of mine I even have the theme tune song on my phone to listen to,It was pretty funny actually in the playground last week wearing my hoodie and listening to my music when suddenly it came on, I think some fellow parents thought I was mad standing there giggling to myself....Loving it!!

I apologize when I did my video I thought these were just pieces of cards you normally get inside tops to help retain their shape but in fact upon closer inspection they also doubled up as a cube puzzle that you turn into Marty Mcfly from Back To The Future! very very cool.

Next up A fantastic Aliens movie top(Colonial Marines uscm) RRP £11.99
If you have never watched Aliens before then clearly you must of been living under a rock,go buy it and watch it NOW!!
The actors that played the colonial marines were actually required to read the Robert.A. Heinlein novel Starship Troopers as part of their pre-filming preps.(How cool is that!)

 Arrow,Starling City Archery Club TV series. RRP £11.99
A fantastic looking top I'm not a massive fan of the show however I love this and I love all the Arrow cosplays I keep seeing being done.

I loved everything I received in my mystery box,the T.Shirts were of a very high quality and fit really well,I have washed everything twice to check how wear the material and print holds out and I am happy to announce that the print has remained intact and I have had no bobbling or any other problems,and best yet they have retained their shape :)

Go check out Meta Cortex to grab yourself a geeky bargain!
Also they run competitions on their Facebook and twitter safe so keep your eyes peeled.


Meta Cortex
Meta Cortex on Facebook
Meta Cortex on Twitter

World book day 2015.

As a book loving family we all love World Book Day! I myself was brought up reading books on a daily basis,any book that managed to draw me in so that I felt a part of the story within the first chapter would easily win me over,if I didn't get this feeling I would put the book down without a second thought. I was brought up reading authors including:

• J.K.Rowling
• Stephan King
• Danielle Steel
• C.S.Lewis
• Catherine Cookson
• Nora Roberts
• Dr.Seuss
• Roald Dahl
• Josephine Cox

One of my favorite  was the 2 book series  by Josephine Cox which included: Her fathers Sin's and Let loose the Tigers,I strongly suggest you read these two books and I challenge you not to cry!

Here are my 3 munchkins all dressed up in their World Book Day Costumes:

We was lucky to be sent their costumes by Talented Talkers who is working with George at Asda to help promote World Book Day.

We was sent:

• A Spiderman Costume RRP £12.50,aged 7-8 my son Ethan was really excited to receive his costume as several months ago he outgrew his one which was aged 5-6,he loved how this one had a special light up panel and kept setting it off. It fit him perfectly in the length I found it was a little big around his chest but that's only because my son is tiny.The only thing my son would't do is wear the mask with my son being autistic one of the things he hates is things over his face like masks.
• My daughter Alisha received the Disney Queen of Hearts Costume aged 5-6,she loves her dress,how big and floaty it is,she even enjoyed playing the evil Queen and pulling faces for the camera.this costume came with a free crown headband and wand. Alisha also had a Spidergirl Costume that we brought for her from the George at Asda range, RRP £12.50 which came with a free mask,she wore the Spidergirl Costume to school as we found that she would occasionally trip while walking in her Queen of Hearts Costume due to the length,then she came home and changed before going to school in pyjamas for bedtime reading in her classroom.Alisha loved both her outfits,we actually had some sulking too as we had to explain why it cant be World Book Day everyday!
• Last but not least we received for our son Aaron a Disney White Rabbit Costume RRP £10.00,A lovely and soft all in one costume with built in rabbit head style hood and waistcoat, I loved this costume my son looked so adorable,even his escort to school kept aah-ing at the look of him in it!

We would love to thank both Talented Talkers and George At Asda for this amazing opportunity to put your great costumes to such good use.

Here are some more pictures for you to look at...

What did you all dress up as for World Book Day?