Lisa, Author at https://babynotincluded.co.uk

Our Family Life 2021 (36/52)

06/09/202120/09/2021 Lisa

Our Family Life 2021 (36/52)

Monday

It’s Bank Holiday Monday and like every other Bank Holiday, it’s just me and the kids. Bank Holidays for retail workers just don’t exist so half the time we forget as it just feels like a normal day. Belle is starting to feel better so I made her get up at a decent time and have a bath whilst I stripped her bedding and let some fresh air into her room. We had some lunch and then decided to walk to one of the local parks. It was lovely as there were only two other children there so they pretty much had the run on the place.

10 year old girl stuck in a baby swing at the park

Belle decided to get into a baby swing and then pretended that she was just having a rest when really she was stuck. Freddie said we should leave her there, but after much faffing (her) I was able to pull her out.

Freddie likes to play Tigers. It’s a game that he’s been playing for a while where he tells us there’s a tiger chasing us and we have to run away before he ‘gets us’. The only safe place in the park was the wobbly bridge. Belle pretends that she’s too old for stuff like this but really she loves it just as much as he does.

Tuesday

A workday for me. It’s a week until Belle goes back to school and Freddie starts pre-school. I’m dreading it. I know he’ll love it, but as far as I’m aware parents aren’t allowed in the building so I’m worried that come next Tuesday they’ll be expecting us to hand Freddie over at the door and leave him there. I have no idea how he’s going to react, but I know that if he doesn’t want to go in and we can’t go in to help settle him in then he’ll no doubt be coming home with us.

Wednesday

It’s exactly a week away from Belle’s 11th Birthday and I’ve still got some last minute bits to get. She wants a balloon arch which I’ve managed to order from one of the local party shops. I also bought some really cool palm leaves which I’m going to dot around to keep inline with the tropical theme. We’re having a family party but she was quite specific that she wanted a balloon arch and a pinata. The pinata has proved a bit trickier. She wanted a flamingo but I’ve had no luck in tracking one down. Fingers crossed I manage to find one.

Thursday

A workday and nothing to report.

Friday

Into town today to get the school bag that Belle wants from New Look. Belle was very impressed with the girls 915 range in New Look and wants to come back for her birthday shopping spree. We got ourselves some lunch and went and sat in the sunshine which was lovely. There’s only so much we can do with little legs in tow so we have to be strategic when we go out and about so that he doesn’t get too tired and I end up having to carry him. He did amazingly though and it turned into a really lovely afternoon.

Saturday

We’re out tomorrow so we’re having a day at home today. Belle made an Angel Delight pudding kit that Nanny had given her and we just played in the garden, did jigsaws and playdoh and cars……

Sunday

It’s my Nephews 2nd birthday on Tuesday so we’re popping down to see him today as it’s back to school on Tuesday. Chris is working so we’re catching the train. This has bothered me all week as we haven’t used public transport since before the pandemic. My brother lives in Dawlish so the trains are always busy with beachgoers. Thankfully the train was relatively quiet but I was a bit OCD with hand gel and making sure that the kids didn’t touch everything and that Freddie definitely didn’t lick the window! We didn’t make it past the amusement park without Freddie sitting on a few of the ride-on things. I’ve promised that we’ll be able to come back soon to have a go on some more of them and Belle wants to bring some coppers to play on the 2p machines. It was a lovely afternoon and the kids all played really well together.

The train back was a little bit busier than the way down, but still not overcrowded.

If you like reading our Family Life 2021 posts, then you can find more in the Family Life tab. You can also find us over on Instagram.

Our Family Life 2021 (35/52)

30/08/202113/09/2021 Lisa

Our Family Life 2021 (35/52)

Monday

Our Family Life 2021 – It feels like we’re having a lot of days at home, but the kids seem to want to just be at home having lounge picnics, playing on the trampoline, and generally just being together. As the chairs were delivered the other day we have a huge empty box and oodles of bubble wrap which has kept them both entertained for the most part of the day. Freddie was enjoying being dragged around the room by Belle whilst he sat in the box. They added in cushions and made it into a ‘person nest’ and also made catwalks with the bubble wrap, prancing up and down to see if they could make the bubbles pop. Amazing isn’t it, you spend a fortune on toys and yet a box and bubble wrap has kept their attention way longer than any of the toys they have.

Tuesday

Back to work for me. It feels like I’ve been off for ages, so lots to catch up on.

Wednesday

Lunch box and school bag shopping today. It should have been an easy task but there aren’t that many physical places that we could go to have a look at them. We ended up getting a gorgeous marble print lunch bag in WH Smiths and an almost matching water bottle in Wilkinson’s. As the weather was gorgeous we decided to get some food and sit by Exeter Cathedral which is such a good sunspot. It was busy but there was still plenty of room for everyone to sit distanced. Belle and I used to sit there a couple of times a week when we did her baby groups so it was nice to do it with both of them.

I had to add in this picture of Belle and Freddie. Freddie is tapping on Belle’s shoulder so that she’s turning her head – leaving him free to pinch a bit of her pudding. He’d finished his. Aww, it was hilarious!

Thursday

I was in the office today and it was really nice to be there. With being on annual leave and isolating, I think it’s been about a month since I was last physically in the building. We now have to do weekly Lamp tests which is a spit test and quite honestly I would rather have a PCR than do this even once a week. You have to spit in a pot when you first wake up before you have anything to drink or brush your teeth. It made me gag and was absolutely disgusting!

Belle went for a sleepover at her grandparents so the house was a lot quieter.

Friday

Animal duties today. Cleaning the hamster out and giving Charlie a good brush. Freddie is still obsessed with watching the hamster videos on youtube and so thought Cookie would like to have a drive in some of his cars. She played the part very well and kept him entertained for ages.

Saturday

Freddie has been potty trained for quite a while now, but is still in pull-ups. Only for the simple reason that he doesn’t like wearing pants. We bought bigger ones thinking that maybe they felt too tight, but he didn’t like them. So we bought some boxer shorts to see what he thought about them. He tried on all three pairs before quickly putting his pull-ups back on and his boxers on his head. I’m not overly fussed as he’s not wetting in them or anything, he just prefers them. we’ll keep trying until he cracks it.

Sunday

A day of home jobs and making sure we have everything ready for back to school and the start of pre-school. We also have a lot of stuff that we need to sort out in the bedrooms. Belle still plays with her Barbies and other dolls, but there are a lot of toys in her room that she hasn’t played with for ages and could go to the Charity shop. We also need to sort out storage for some of Ryan’s stuff that he doesn’t need as he’s on base during the week. It’s one of those jobs that once you start you have to keep going as it’s just such a mess. I get really nostalgic when I start sorting through things so it takes me way too long as I do all the ‘remember when…….’.

If you like reading our Family Life 2021 posts, then you can find more in the Family Life tab.

Our Family Life 2021 (34/52)

23/08/202113/09/2021 Lisa

Our Family Life 2021 (34/52)

Monday

Family Life 2021 – What a lovely weekend we’ve had. Today we decided to get out and about with the dog. We have the regular places that we like to go to, but we thought we’d try somewhere new. I’d heard about Mamhead Sensory Trail on Facebook as a great place to take kids as well as dogs so off we went. My niece came as well which It was a lovely walk that was pram and toddler friendly, but you can stray off the path if you have older children who want to explore and climb a little bit more. We had heard that there was a secret rope swing, but it must be well hidden as we didn’t find it. We drove past the spot a couple of weeks ago and there was a coffee van there, but unfortunately, it wasn’t there today so we had to make do with water.

Tuesday

I had big plans for places we could go this week, but Chris has done something to his shoulder and finding driving difficult. He’s booked in for a sports massage, and we’ll just do bits more or less on our doorstep which is hardly a hardship. We took the kids to the park today. Freddie is quite adventurous with his climbing, but he’s still at the stage where he still needs a little bit of help – not that he wants it. It was nice to see him running around on all the equipment, not trying to avoid all the other children like he has been doing.

Wednesday

We went back for our Summer Holiday Toddler Sense class this morning. Belle came with us and met her friend there before going off to her house for the rest of the day. Freddie had a lovely time and was much more confident than last week. They did some chalk drawing, dancing and maypole dancing which I think Freddie quite enjoyed. The only thing was that he kept making a beeline for my bag to get his snacks out so I had to keep chasing him away like a pesky seagull.

As Belle was with her friend I popped into my mum’s for a cuppa before heading home. My mum has a budgie and Freddies is quite fascinated by him and all the bits he has in his cage. He’s not flying at the moment which there doesn’t seem to be any reason for. It happened around the time that my Dad went into the Hospice which is slightly odd.

Thursday

A chill day at home. Freddie was happy playing and Isabelle was playing an online game with her friend in her bedroom so I even managed to sneak in a bit of work which was good. Freddie likes to have the hamster’s cage on the floor so that he can show her his toys and watch TV with her.

Friday

We did a spot of shopping today. As Belle keeps reminding us it’s her birthday in a couple of weeks and we’re having a little family party so we must get organised for everything. We popped into a couple of charity shops which is one of Belle’s favourite things to do and fast becoming Freddies as well. We didn’t manage to get any goodies on this occasion as I’m trying to get them to realise that we don’t have to buy things just for the sake of it.

Our new dining chairs came today which I absolutely love. They’re the ones that I wanted originally but Chris dismissed them and still isn’t keen. I love them though!

Saturday

Our Grandson came over for the day which is always a treat. We played on the trampoline, built bricks, raced cars, played hide and seek, and watched a movie. It’s always busy when Luka comes over, and the boys are like little Duracell Bunnies. I literally flop down at the end of the day!

Sunday

Was a pyjama day for us. Do you find that since Covid, that you appreciate the slower pace of life. Gone are the days that I run myself ragged just for the sake of being out and about. Sometimes, it’s just nice to be at home, in the garden, or playing.

If you like reading our Family Life 2021 posts, then you can find more in the Family Life tab.

Our Family Life 2021 (33/52)

16/08/202131/08/2021 Lisa

Our Family Life 2021 (33/52)

Monday

We thought we’d do a few bits and bobs at home to kick off the week and I had a bit of work to catch up on.

Freddie is obsessed with belles hamster, Cookie, and likes to talk to her every day. He’s been watching a YouTube show which is basically hamsters going around elaborate cardboard mazes and loves it. He likes to get the cage down to watch it with Cookies ‘friends’ which is kind of cute.

Tuesday

Belle and I escaped on our own to do some birthday shopping for Daddy’s birthday this weekend. it was kind of successful but we ended up with more stuff for Belle than we did for the birthday boy. We also met my son and his fiancée for lunch at Slim Chicken which we haven’t had before. It was lovely but both Belle and Ryan were quite irked that they don’t have ketchup. Loads of nice dipping sauces minus the very obvious and I’m guessing most asked for ketchup. Odd!

Wednesday

This morning we went to Toddler Sense this morning. Belles’s friend’s mum runs it so she met her friend whilst we were there. Freddie was really shy to start with and a bit uncertain about going up to the front to collect the shakers and ribbons etc but he got there once he’s warmed up and really enjoyed himself.

Afterward, we went for coffee and ice cream with belles friend and her mum followed by a trip to the park.

We also popped into a charity shop after much begging from Belle and ended up with a dolly and a buggy which Freddie proudly pushed all the way home.

Thursday

We had a day at home and I had my hair done. I had balayage a few months ago with darker roots and lighter on the ends which I love. I had the colour redone today and I love it. I’ve had quite a bit chopped off and additional layers as it’s so thick and a bit unruly at the moment. It feels so much lighter and swishier now!

Friday

Our morning started with a gorgeous breakfast at the Pink Moon. They were doing a summer holiday special with unlimited pancakes and milkshakes for the kids.

Chris had a full moon breakfast which was a full English with posh beans and avocado on the side. I had a breakfast muffin filled with pulled pork, bacon, and cheese with hollandaise sauce. It was gorgeous.

We then went to the sports shop to get both kids new trainers. Thankfully it was a successful trip with very little grumbling from Belle. There was a sticky point when Freddie wanted one Spider-Man trainer and one Cars trainer with flashing lights on the side.

Saturday

As it’s Chris’ birthday tomorrow and my mother-in-law next week we had a family picnic at my in-law’s house. We all had to take some food with us so Chris made a pressed picnic loaf with loads of meats, cheeses, and pickles which he impressed himself with so much.

It was a lovely afternoon. The weather didn’t look too hopeful in the morning but the sun came out and the kids were able to play with a sprinkler pad which they loved.

Sunday

It was Daddy’s birthday today so the day started with presents which Freddie helped unwrap, telling him what everything was as he unwrapped them. Chris like most men is really hard to buy for, but this year he was clear on what he wanted (at the last minute). He wants to get a tattoo. His first tattoo. Whilst moneys slightly boring to give as a present I would much rather give him something that he wanted rather than the usual go-to presents of aftershave, t-shirts and alcohol.

Then Belle decided she wanted to make a Birthday Breakfast. She did very little by way of helping with the full English that ended up on the table, but took 100% of the credit. Typical….

We had a pretty chilled morning followed by us going out for a child-free meal in the afternoon which was such a treat. We rarely spend any time on our own without the kids so it really was very nice. this is when having an older child comes in quite nicely. Ryan and his fiancée came over to look after the kids armed with kids magazines which was a smooth move on their part.

We picked a local Portuguese restaurant that was recommended to us, and it definitely didn’t disappoint. We had a selection of starters including a type of stew with beef and chorizo. It was the kind of dish you could eat a huge bowl of with a stack of bread for dipping. We also had prawns, a goats cheese and spinach samosa, cod fritters and these little shrimp filled pastry’s which were amazing.

For the main course we had a sharing platter of sizzling pork and sausage with fries, salad and some side dishes which looked like Cous cous but were in fact cornbread crumbs with a mix of chickpeas, tomatoes and kale. We washed it all down with a jug of sangria. The desserts sounded amazing but we didn’t have any room left to eat anything else.

All was well when we got home, and we had that nice feeling you get when you actually get to sit down, talk and appreciate a meal without small people invading your space.

It’ll be sad when Chris has to go back to work, but it’s been a great week.

My Family Life 2021 (32/52)

09/08/202109/08/2021 Lisa 1 Comment

My Family Life 2021

Monday

After a busy weekend, we had a lovely chilled out day. Well, I say that but there was much cleaning and washing involved. Freddie was happy pottering around playing with his toys and Belle was happy hiding away in her room which she likes to do these days.

This months Birch Box arrived which I love every single month. It’s so nice getting some treats.

Tuesday

A work day for me. Just today and Thursday and then I’ve got two weeks off from my employed job.

The kids went out with Nanny for a few hours today, and then Belle went for a sleepover at her best friends house. She took a bag big enough to stay away for a week!

Wednesday

My Mum was looking after my brothers kids so we went to see them today. It was just Freddie and I but the cousins had a lovely time together. We walked over and it would have been quicker if I’d taken a snail with me.

Thursday

I was in the office today. It was nice not to be at home for a change. It was the last day before my annual leave. I had thought that my time with the team was coming to an end but I’m staying for now which I’m pleased about.

Friday

We were going to go out. It started to pour down so that ruined our plans. In the end my sister took Belle to ibounce trampoline park and Freddie and I stayed at home playing cars. Freddie would have loved it too but under 5’a are only allowed to go to the family sessions which were fully booked. My sister and I had a catch up when they came back which was nice. Freddie loves it when ‘Aunty Smelly’ (Kelly) comes over because she’s super noisy and messes around with him.

Saturday

The weather is still a bit iffy so we decided to make cupcakes and watch a film.

It’s really hard baking with a 10 year old and a 3 year old. Neither of them wants to share with the other so we have to share the jobs out or it all becomes a nightmare. Each of them has six cakes. We use different coloured cases so there’s no confusion. Once cooked they have the end of a worktop each to decorate as they want. Freddie finished his in about five seconds whilst Isabelle takes ages decorating hers. Both of them made cakes that look like boobies which they thought was hilarious.

Sunday

The start of ten days off as a family. We went to the quay for coffee, cake and ice cream. There’s a coffee shop that we always go to so the kids now call it our coffee shop.

The queue was so long and the ice cream was quite drippy by the time we got it so the dog got quite a treat as he finished Freddie’s.

There’s a little boat that you can go from one side of the river to the other instead of going over the bridge. They use a wire from one side to the other and pull the. Oat backwards and forwards. We went on this for the first time with Freddie and he really enjoyed it. We even watched as he dropped the wire in to the water to allow a boat to go past.

We then went in the park and Chris and I took it in turns to stay outside with the dog. We finished off the day with a steak dinner. All in all it was a nice first day off together.

My Family Life 2021 (31/52)

02/08/202109/08/2021 Lisa

My Family Life 2021 (31/52)

Monday

It’s officially the start of the school holidays but we’re still isolating. We’ve still got the teacher presents that we weren’t able to give out. We had chocolate bouquets made so it’s touch and go whether they’ll make it to the start of the new school year.

We set up a fake beach as we were taking part in a campaign for the new kids show Kangaroo Beach. So we drew and coloured fish, Freddie got beach ready in his trunks and we made the sea with a blue sleeping bag. Freddie loves the beach, but it means we have to tag team going in the water with him as he spends pretty much all the time in the sea. I always look around at the Mums and Dads sat down chilling or reading whilst their kids sit by them building sandcastles, and wonder how we get some of that!

Tuesday

A work day for me and my laptop has been playing up. Everything on the screen is really enlarged making it really hard to read. I’ve tried everything, googled it and phoned the IT department. It was a slow day!

Wednesday

It’s our last day of isolation so I decided to tackle the under stairs cupboard. It’s amazing how much stuff (crap) we can fit in there. I found a random box that had all sorts of things in it from piles of really old payslips to my old Nokia phone I gave it to Freddie who wanted to know if it was a remote control.

Belle thought it was hilarious as I explained that it was just for phoning and texting with the odd game on it. This was mine and Chris had the pale blue version – we were at the top end of mobile phones at the time!

Thursday

FREEDOM! Where’s the first place we visited? B&M followed by McDonald’s for lunch. I wanted some garden chairs as we’re having family over at the weekend and not enough seating. It was an unsuccessful trip aside from loads of sweets, a few toiletries and some cushions.

However, it was nice to be out and about. I did notice that mask wearing is about 50/50 in the shops. We’re still going to wear them in shops and enclosed places as there’s still so many people testing positive for Covid, so better safe than sorry.

It should have been a work day for me but we were all given a ‘Thank you day’ as part of the NHS which I thought was a nice touch. I’m not front line or even patient facing, but it was a lovely gesture in an awful situation.

Friday

Cake making today for my Grandsons birthday party on Sunday. It’s hard to believe that my eldest has been a dad for three years. His actual birthday was spent in isolation so hopefully this weekend we can have a really great time to make up for it.

Saturday

We went to Dartmoor Zoo. The weather forecast wasn’t great and the clouds got greyer and greyer the closer we got. Just as we arrived it started to rain, but thankfully it only lasted a few minutes and was done by the time we got through the entrance bit. The rest of the day was sunny and hot.

We saw all the animals apart from the Jaguar who was obviously hiding somewhere in its enclosure.

We were treated to a show from the female tiger who was playing with a ball in the water. It’s amazing how close we were to her and she was beautiful.

We heard the lion roar and making the noise of a cat with a fur all on a much larger scale.

There was a dinosaur theme so the kids had maps and had to find various dinosaurs and dinosaur eggs. They also got to dig for fossils which Freddie and Luka loved.

We saw some animals that we haven’t seen before. They had giant rat like creatures, Dik Diks *snigger snigger* and these birds which were black with the most vibrant colours in their fronts.

My Mum came as well – she was born in Exeter and had never been to Dartmoor Zoo before. It’s quite hilly and I think she found the walking a bit much, but she said it was worth it.

Sunday

We had all the family over for a Luka’s Birthday party. Ryan and his fiancée did all the decorating with a dinosaur themed balloon arch, balloons and a piñata. All the cousins came over and they had so much fun. The poor piñata didn’t stand a chance l, even from the younger ones.

Luka was teaching the great-grans the Baby Shark dance moves which they were getting all wrong.

By the end of the day we were all knackered but it was totally worth it to get everybody together.

All in all it was a great weekend.

Some of the Top Tips for Freebie Fans

31/07/202116/01/2024 Lisa

Some of the Top Tips for Freebie Fans

1. Don’t believe everything you read

A big thing that you ought to do when you are trying to apply for some freebies is avoiding believing everything that you read. While it may sound great that you are applying for a chance to win a lot of money, the chances of that happening are slim to none. The fact is, freebies are offered by companies for a reason. They know that it costs a lot of money to acquire a customer. Therefore, they are typically willing and able to give out free samples of products to try to increase their customer acquisitions and to decrease their customer acquisition costs. As a result, you shouldn’t expect too much with freebies. You are generally not going to get too much with them. At best, you’re getting a small trial-size version of the product they are selling.

2. Avoid unrealistic expectations

To go even further, you want to avoid thinking that you are getting something extreme. When applying for freebies, you won’t end up disappointed if you go into it with realistic expectations. You want to understand why the company is giving away their products and use them when coming up with your expectations. The company is giving away free products because they are looking to turn you into a paying customer. The last thing you want to do is go into a free samples UK with another kind of mindset. The company that you are getting a freebie from is not doing it to be nice. Rather, they are doing it to acquire more customers.

3. Always Ask

When you are looking to try to score some freebies, you want to try to ask as many companies as possible. A lot of companies will certainly be willing to offer you free products if you ask. You need to go ahead and email companies if you want them to give you free products. A lot of companies will be perfectly fine with giving out free products as long as you make it known you want them.

4. Don’t Have Guilt

A lot of people end up feeling guilty because they ask for free products. The truth is, this is a natural feeling. When you are getting more than you feel like you deserve, you may tend to feel guilty. However, these companies aren’t doing it to be nice. Rather, they are doing it to try to gain more customers and more market share. Therefore, you don’t want to allow your guilt to enter the equation and cause you to lose out on potential free products.

5. Use A Different Email

The last thing you want to do is sign up for a bunch of freebies using your primary email address. You must use a new email address when you are looking to signup for freebies. This is the best way to ensure that you don’t have your primary address flooded with spam from the companies that you are requesting freebies from. You can find the infographic here.

*AD – This is a paid promotion

Kangaroo Beach – The Great New Show from Nick Jr.

29/07/202129/07/2021 Lisa 4 Comments

Kangaroo Beach – The Great New Show from Nick Jr for Pre-schoolers.

Kangaroo Beach is a great new water safety beach show aimed at pre-school aged children. We live in Devon so we’re close to multiple beaches and is definitely a happy place for us as a family. Freddie loves anything water-based and we can’t wait to get him water confidence safely when we’re able to book swimming lessons for him.

What is Kangeroo Beach?

Kangaroo Beach is a 26 x 11’ minute animated surf-safety series for preschoolers and their families produced by Cheeky Little Media and created by Tim Bain, who has also written for PJ Masks, Go Jetters, Bluey, Fireman Sam, and Bob the Builder among other shows for a slightly older audience.

Kangaroo Beach is about four young animal friends, Pounce, Gemma, Neville, and Frizzy, who spend an action-packed summer at the spectacular Kangaroo Beach, training as junior cadets with their lifeguard heroes. When an emergency breaks out, the cadets step up to help keep the water safe.

The series will appeal to young audiences by exploring the wonders of water play, whilst helping to promote an essential message about water safety in every episode. All the water safety advice from water safety professionals is accredited by the Swimming Teachers Association, the Uk’s reputable water safety charity.

The message behind the show is to inspire swimmers in a way that promotes safe water play which as parents is top of the list.

Kangaroo Beach Characters

There are four main characters:

Pounce

Pounce is a super Jumping Joey who wants to be a big muscly hero like Bondi.

Frizzy

Frizzy is a Fabulous Koala Bear – the most adorable star on the beach!

Gemma

Gemma the Platypus is a Champion Cadet who loves exploring the ocean and meeting new sea creatures.

Neville

Neville is a hairy-nosed wombat and expert sandcastle digger!

As well as Sandy, Big Trev, Bondi and Lin, and Wei.

What we thought of Kangaroo Beach

Well first and foremost, it stopped Freddie in his tracks. When he finds a show that he likes, he goes into a telly-trance. We always say that a bomb could go off and he wouldn’t notice until the electricity went out!

We loved it! Freddie asked when he was going to the beach next, and can he learn to surf. I think we might teach him to swim before we let him loose with a bodyboard.

I thought it was a great show, not too long, and great characters. One of the phrases on the show was the highlight for me “On it like a seagull on a Chip”! I’m going to try and get that into a conversation this week.

As it was our last day in isolation (contact) we created our own little beach scene and Freddie pretended he was swimming whilst he watched. It didn’t last long before he slipped back into his telly-trance. I even caught Belle (10) glued to the TV.

We loved it and have already watched several episodes.

Toddler boy sitting quietly watching television

Kangaroo Beach is available on Nick Jr weekday at 09.30 – make sure you watch it!

You can also catch it on the Kangeroo Beach YouTube Channel.

Find our what we’re using and loving at the moment on our Competitions and Reviews Page.

AD – This is a paid promotion in collaboration with Nick Jr.

WIN a Dior J’adore Absolu Sample with Free Stuff UK

28/07/202128/07/2021 Lisa

WIN a Dior J’adore Absolu Sample with Free Stuff UK

Fancy a chance of winning a sample of Dior J’adore Absolu with Free Stuff UK? It’s as simple as signing up for Free Stuff UK! Receive daily emails pinpointing loads of great freebies and offers on everyday items as well as some luxury items including this Dior perfume sample.

Dior J’adore Absolu has the essence of ylang-ylang with its floral-fruity notes and essence of Damascus Rose from Turkey blend with a rare duo of Jasmine Grandiflorum from Grasse and Indian Sambac Jasmine with fruity and voluptuous sensuality.

This perfume retails at £110 for a 75ml bottle.

Like FREE Stuff?

Everybody loves a freebie right? It’s a great way of trying out new products as well as saving some of our hard earned cash. Here are just a few of the great offers at the moment:

Free Stardrops Pink Stuff Cleaning Bundle
Grap a Free Detol package
A Free Carolina Herrera Lipstick
A Free Coca-Cola Crate
Free Pura Baby Wipes

For your chance to get a sample of this and many other great FREE offers, sign up to Free Stuff UK.

Find our what we’re using and loving at the moment on our Competitions and Reviews Page.

*AD – This is a paid promotion.

My Family Life 2021 (30/52)

26/07/202126/07/2021 Lisa

My Family Life 2021

Monday

Well today was eventful. We got up as usual to start our day. Freddie and I were due to meet a friend at a toddler group, Belle was going to school. It was Belle’s sports day in the afternoon followed by a meet and greet session for Freddie from 4 – 5pm so it was going to be a full-on day.

As we were getting ready I always have a little scroll through my emails which was lucky as we had an urgent email to say that a child in Belles year had tested positive for Covid and they were closing the bubble and all children had to isolate until 24th July which would mean after the last day of term.

Cue huge meltdown from Belle who was really looking forward to sports day and, let’s face it a doss week for the rest of the week.

Whilst we were calming that situation, we then get a call from our son who had tested positive on a lateral flow test and was being moved to a single room to isolate. He’s in the army but was with us all weekend from Friday to Sunday.

We then got another email from school to say that as per new guidelines, they weren’t closing the bubble and all kids should be in school for 11.30.

We had a very smiley Belle until we realised that we would have to isolate as contacts with Ryan pending his PCR test.

Oh dear, yet another meltdown from Belle.

No toddler group, no Sports day and no meet and greet for pre-school. All our plans taken out within half an hour. We were meant to be going to my Mums for tea as well, as she was going to be looking after Belle whilst Freddie and I went to pre-school so she was disappointed as well.

The guidance on contact is pretty crap at the moment. It contradicts itself – one bit says you have to isolate and another bit says you don’t have to unless contacted by track and trace.

I rang work who said yes, we need to isolate pending Ryan’s PCR results so fingers crossed they come back negative.

We’ve got a bit of a wait as a postal test has been requested for Ryan as he doesn’t drive.

Tuesday 20th

I worked from home. It’s absolutely boiling hot. We shouldn’t complain about the weather as it’s been pretty touch and go crap recently but it’s just one extreme to another!

Ryan had his PCR test and should get the results tomorrow.

Wednesday 21st

We waited all day for the results and it wasn’t until I was already in bed that he messaged me to say that he had tested positive. Damn, that’s us in isolation for the foreseeable.

Belle was very upset as she was hoping to go back to school for the last couple of days. She’s been set some work online, but I’m not even going to bother trying to get her to do it.

On the upside, the weather is still lovely so lots of garden play, and Daddy is home which is an extra bonus as he works long hours.

Chris also got a 6 month pass to Disney+ so we’ve got loads of films we can watch in between soakings.

Thursday

I should have been in the office today but as we’re isolating I’m working from home. It’s been a disaster of a day. The system that I use for work decided to play up. It enlarged itself on my screen which you’d think would be easy enough to fix, but no, it stayed huge and really hard to work from. I’m pretty IT savvy but I couldn’t work it out and neither could the IT department!

We also nipped to the Corona drive through to get tested, just in case. It makes no difference to isolation, we still have to do it but at least we’d know. I’m double jabbed but Chris has only had one of his, and you can still get it clever if you’ve been vaccinated. Better to be safe and all that!

Friday

The kids and I got our results which were all negative. Chris’ came back inconclusive so he has to go back and get it done again.

Our grandson has also tested positive so all his birthday plans for the weekend have had to be scrapped. We weren’t seeing him this weekend but it’s a shame that he can’t have his party.

Ryan’s utterly bored as he’s stuck in a single room to isolate. At least we’ve got the garden to break up the day.

Saturday 24th

I’ve got my first driving lesson confirmed for Monday 6th September. I can’t wait to get on the road. I only want to drive so it’s easier to take the kids places after school and at the weekend. Also being able to pop over for a cuppa with my mum will be quite nice as well.

We’ve got a big car so I’m on the lookout for a small car with four doors. I like the look of the Citroen’s or a small Peugeot but who knows.

Sunday

It’s Luka’s 3rd birthday today. I’ve been a Nanny for three whole years. It still makes me chuckle when I say that, but we wouldn’t change it for the world.

We FaceTimed him so we could wish him happy birthday. He showed us his presents and was happy enough at home with his Mum.

We also watched the film Luca which was definitely worth a watch.

Belle made some little clay charms which we thought were pretty impressive. We had to bake them in the oven before she can glaze them.