All-in-One Mum

Little girls tend to be very girly from before they can even walk. Whether it’s a result of being surrounded by pinks, purples and pastel tones from birth, or just an intrinsic love of all things sparkly, little girls certainly seem to know what they like. This Christmas you can treat the little princess in your life to something a little more lady-like than the many gender-neutral toddler toys that are available, whilst still keeping them age appropriate. Dolls Little girls have been playing with dolls for many years. There are dolls for all age groups, from basic fabric rag dolls to fashion dolls with small parts, clothes and accessories for older girls. The infatuation with dolls can start young, and many are made with no loose buttons or parts especially for toddler girls. These are usually washable and soft so they can be cuddled and slept with without any problems. There are also strollers, cots and accessories all designed with younger children in mind, which help with fi...

I'm a little outspoken and ever so slightly crazy on the best of days and yes, this seems to have been imparted to my daughter. Take the other morning, for example.  As she sings me a song using a tumbler as a microphone for better effect, she belted out the nonsensical lyrics of her latest 'hit tune' at the top of her lungs as if performing to a stage of adoring fans.  I am of course her number one fan so when she finished I gave a round of applause.  I told her how talented she is and, expecting her to smile and laugh, she simply looked back at me, smiled, tilted her head to the side and said quite matter of fact, "Yes, I know.  I'm also beautiful."  Fair play. With that in mind, I don't want to breed some precious and precocious Justin Bieber, crowd spitting, monkey keeping, self-absorbed, ridiculous hair, snotty type kid.  He may have money but if my daughter were to bring something like that home, he wouldn't even make it past the front door m...

A few days ago I introduced you to Beanies, The Flavour Co.  Their coffees are lovingly made in a special process bringing to you top quality premium flavoured coffees. Limited edition Christmas instant coffees are now available in these three fabulous flavours: Christmas Pudding Mulled Spice Winter Warmer So, what do they taste like? Christmas Pudding - aroma of Christmas pudding with a hint of brandy cream.  Delicious Christmas pudding after taste too which wasn't over powering, so could be enjoyed as an after dinner treat, or lunch, whatever takes your fancy.  Actually made me feel like having a mince pie to go along with it. Mulled Spice - first thing that came to mind was, of course, mulled wine.  It's quite spicy as far as a coffee goes, and to be honest, did not agree with my palate.  It does conjure up visions of a white Christmas spent around a roaring log fire.  Once again, I felt like mince pies... Winter War...

I was first introduced to Psychologies roughly six years ago by my cousin.  She has this amazing knack for introducing me to new things that she knows I'll relish. Psychologies is one of the few monthly mags that I actually read, not page-turn, from cover to cover.  The articles are about real women.  There are no skinny models in ridiculous poses wearing couture that I could only dream of affording.  Stories are not sensationalised; they are true to life. Topics range from conversations with ordinary people overcoming extra-ordinary life circumstances to getting a deeper insight into the female psyche and how to be a better you.  All this finished off with a  touch of travel, make-up, fashion and recipes. Unlike most fashion or gossip magazines, I read and learn from the the articles and am left feeling a combination of calm, empowerment, enlightenment and with more cultural awareness.  I'm not preached at or given guidelines about how I shou...

So, it's Blogfest 2013 and the latest topic of discussion is 'can you be a mummy blogger and a feminist'.   My immediate reaction being...WTF.  In a room full of women, some extremely strong willed and with sharp tongues, why, oh why in the name of all that is sacred, would you even bring this up?!   Following all the Tweets on Twitter made me quite glad that I wasn't actually at the event as I'd either have to sit on my hands or bite my tongue. Being a mum or even a mummy blogger does not mean that you should be pigeon holed into some sort of 'Mary Poppins' type, happy to make the meals, clean the house, can't change a light bulb being. I think that being a mummy blogger is actually quite the opposite.  Yes, there are people who blog solely about their families.  They enjoy it, don't slag them off for it.  They like it, it's pleasant and non-offencive.  It's a creative outlet for most and it takes a flipping great deal of commitment and ...

So, you wake up in the morning.  It's 15 minutes later than you actually planned to get out bed.  Your hair, however, is still looking great from the day before.  Now that you've lost that extra 15 minutes you darn well better not get it wet in the shower because there definitely isn't time to deal with it this morning!! Sound familiar to anyone?   Save the Blow Dry are here to come to the rescue of the late sleepers, lazy blow dryers, constant 'I'm in a rush' folk with their super trendy new Save the Blow Dry shower cap. Clip your hair up lightly if it's long and then then tuck it into the cap along with any stragglers, hop into the shower, and hey presto!  No wet hair.  Your blow dry and style has been saved from the day before! Interesting fact: on average, ladies spend over two hours each week blow drying and styling their tresses! With a soft and super-absorbent micro weave towel inner and protective outer (phalate free) you can rest assured...

At less than 2  calories  per serving, one of my latest treats is Beanies flavoured coffee.  Using advanced flavouring systems, Beanies mix high quality roast coffee and fabulous, natural flavours. Beanies have been  tantalising  taste buds since 2009 and with 36 different flavours to choose from there is sure to be something to suit every palate.  There are currently four beautiful gift sets and hampers  available which are perfect presents for colleagues, friends and family who appreciate a good cup of coffee. A few of the  favourite Beanies flavours are: Amaretto Flavour Cinnamon & Hazelnut Flavour French Vanilla Flavour Irish Cream Flavour Rich Hazelnut Flavour Chocolate Flavour Creamy Caramel Flavour I sampled the Vanilla Nut, Double Chocolate and Cappuccino premium blend flavoured coffees.  Coffees are available in espresso, medium grind and whole bean.  I chose the whole bean as I like to grind my own coffee as...

Have you ever been in a situation where you can't get to your local Chemist or have simply forgotten to buy something that you really needed to get?  Instead of getting into a panic, you can go to an Online Chemist  called Medicines2U.  They stock a wide variety of products to suit Customers needs ranging from Medicines to health & beauty items and even pet medications and treatments. Medicines2u.com are part of a well established and experienced pharmacy called Yakub Chemist Limited who has been successfully running for over 20 years. Their team of dedicated staff ensure that customers have an easy and pleasant shopping experience whilst navigating through their user friendly site. They thrive to provide the best customer service and ensure that all products are of high quality and promptly delivered to your doorstep whether it be at home or work. Also on offer is the Doctor Consultation service, gi...

Buying a printer can be daunting.  I've often looked for something small and snazzy and at a reasonable price, but what I didn't always take into account is the cost of the replacement ink cartidges after the first set has been used.  It's one of those cases where it's occasionally cheaper to buy a brand new printer at a discounted price because it will be cheaper than buying the supplier made ink! I've thankfully been introduced to a website called  Cartridge Discount  where you can buy ink and toner cartidges at fabulously discounted prices .  They stock Printer Ink  (remanufactured and original) for all the big name brands, including ink for franking machines, photo paper and other accessories that you may need for printing and mailing. Prices are quoted with and without VAT which is great because when you buy from catalogues for instance, they often give the price without VAT, which I forget about and then get extremel...

It's that time of year again when electicity bills start to sneakily climb up and all of a sudden you are lumped with a heafty bill that you may not have expected.  Like with any of your home bills, it is always an excellent idea to review your suppliers and see if you can get a better deal elsewhere and save those precious pennies! The infographic below provides very good reasons as to why you should review your suppliers annually and also shows that it is actually easier to do than you think with more people going down this path each year. Being with one of the 'big' providers doesn't always mean that you are getting a good deal and if you could get a better deal from a smaller supplier, I'm sure you'd take the opportunity and happily pocket the extra money saved. Food for thought, isn't it? Ally x Brought to you by Ovo Energy – the cheaper, greener and simpler energy supplier

Being a working mum with my own business I sometimes bring work home with me to finish off or catch up on.  Working from home as it's positives as you can do a load of washing in between spreadsheets, emails and phone calls.  It also has its distractions such as getting dinner started early instead of after bedtime madness or trying to be disciplined and avoid not turning on the telly, even if it is just for background noise, and getting caught up in something other than work. This got me to thinking that wouldn't it just be lovely to sit in a coffee shop or in a park and make that your office for the day?  Maybe even on a beach?  I think I'd be more productive in a busier space and possibly unleash more of my creative side.  One vital piece of equipment needed however, would be a laptop as I use a desktop at home. In my internet search for a suitable laptop, John Lewis popped up first showing a vast selection of  lapt...

It's that time of year again, when the crème-de-la-crème of amateur bakers head into the big white tent and bake for Britain, wowing us with their cakes, tarts, pies and bread creations. The Great British Bake Off has given us some glorious successes and spectacular triumphs, but it has also seen some magnificent disasters. When the heat - and the pressure - are on high, even the best bakers can have meltdowns in the kitchen. This season has already seen custard theft and elbowed egg muffins, but what about the failures that came before? From crumbling cakes to sliced fingers, here's our roundup of the Bake Off 's top cooking catastrophes. Dropped Cakes It's fairly safe to say that all the bakers are particularly keen to impress in the very first episode of the series, but poor Rob Billington fell prey to the kind of kitchen failure we've all had nightmares about when he dropped his sponge on the floor. Like all great cooks, however, Rob managed to salvage...

I’m a working mum and although I like to think I’m organised, most weekday mornings are a mad rush to get myself, hubby and little one out of the house.   We all brush our teeth as part of our morning and evening routine but giving them their full 2 minutes of attention isn’t always the case. One thing my parents always said to me was “look after your teeth, you only get one set!”. I’ve always kept this in mind, very rarely skipping a morning or evening brushing.   When I was pregnant I was particularly aware of how sensitive my gums were and found that my gums bled, so I needed to be gentle when I brushed.   Using a normal toothbrush made it quite hard as I had to gauge it correctly to make sure I was applying just the right amount of pressure to clean my teeth properly at the same time. Over the past couple of weeks I’ve been trying out the  Oral-B Triumph 5000 with SmartGuide  power brush and new Pro-Expert Premium Gum Protection toothpaste. ...

I think (and yes it's a large generalisation) that in years and actually generations gone by it was far more simple to have a baby and not have to go back to work.  You had a baby or you had a career.  You didn't always have to make a choice. The cost of raising a child to the age of 18 rises each year and with that in mind, many women have no choice but to go back to work in order to contribute to the household income, pushing them back out into the working world.  Working mums, but not by choice. Some women decide not to have offspring.  It doesn't make them bad people.  If anything it's actually quite a smart move.  You get to dote on other people's kids and at the end of the day, you can pass them back over.  You can avoid all the tantrums and just have little smiley faces.  They also have the benefit of going to work in clothes that have not been re-styled by messy hands and snotty noses.  If they have rings under their eyes it's mor...

Zappie  is a wonderful new app that brings pictures to life right in front of your eyes.  The first of it's kind, Zappie uses the latest augmented reality technology to bring very cute images and products to life anywhere from walls to t-shirts. Zappie was designed to support pre-school children as part of their development and play.  Not only do the wall stickers look beautiful but they can transform even the dullest of rooms into a gorgeous fun and educational space.   We were sent a set of the "I'm a Little Teapot" stickers so that we could see for ourselves just how lovely they really are.  The quality of the stickers is very good and even little hands find it easy to peel them from their sticky backing sheet and apply to the wall.  The images are large, beautifully detailed and typical of traditional English nursery rhymes, which I find very appealing. To get the images to come to life I download the free "Zappie" Nursery Rhyme a...

Little Miss and I hopped on to the Huggies Pull-ups potty training bus  a few weeks back for a very informative morning about potty training and how to  encourage  and reward your little one through this next stage in their development.   Although the bus is no longer on tour, it was an excellent way of educating parents and toddlers about potty training and showing that instead of being daunting, potty training can actually be fun!  Huggies offer free samples to parents to try the Huggies Pull-ups on their child before buying a full  pack.   My daughter loved the designs on the Pull-ups and enjoyed putting them on at night.  The DryNites  Pyjama Pants are just as lovely.  She was slightly annoyed that she couldn't wear the boys pants because their absorbent sections are slightly different to those of the girl ones.  I'm pretty sure that she can't be the only girl that likes Disney's Cars movie?! To make potty training in...