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Showing posts with label Reviews. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Reviews. Show all posts

One thing I dont feel like you see enough of these days is full and frank reviews.

It's mainly an issue for me because I'm that kind of anal type A personality that googles like mad in order to research every inch of a place before I decide whether I'm going to spend the money and commit to going there. I tend to rely on trip advisor a lot, especially for viewing visitors photos because I find those seem to provide the most honest of reviews. (possibly because whilst words can be embellished or lie photos not so much?)

I do really enjoy reading blog posts that bloggers have written about their stay-cations too but find that many tend to focus on only the positives - on what a great trip they had and how beautiful the place was without mentioning any of the negatives. And I mean no place can be perfect right?

So with those frustrations in mind I vowed to myself, before even stepping foot in North Star Club or anywhere else we might visit this summer, that I would commit to a fully rounded review so that anyone who is like me and likes to search places before they go may come across this and it might help them in knowing more about it, pro's and cons included.

North Star Club - Worth the trip? (& the expense?)

Wednesday, 25 July 2018


Lily's favourite thing at the moment is to play the role of caregiver. Whether she's a mummy, teacher, nurse, her poor dolls are dragged around with her everywhere and constantly being attended to. 

I love that she's in to dolls. It's very sweet and I like seeing her maternal side. Dolls have also come a long way from when I was her age - the ones I had at four years old were quite frankly hideous. I look back at the old photographs my mum has and the sight of my favourite doll back then makes me cringe. It's like no thought had been put in to the design and it more or less looked like something out of a horror movie. (especially when later on down the line it lost one of it's eyes, and I still insisted on carrying it around..)

Nowadays however it seems like a lot more thought and care are put in to designing dolls for children. None more so than Lottie dolls. 

Fun with Lottie Dolls - Review

Friday, 21 July 2017


I tend to think of myself as much more of an autumn dresser than a summer dresser. Give me oversized cable knits and skinny jeans over summer dresses, shorts and skirts any day. Or that’s what I thought anyway. Until I took a look at Simply Be’s summer collection.
You’d be forgiven for not thinking of Simply Be straight away when you think ‘summer wardrobe.’ I hadn’t either, in fact I’ll be honest and say I hadn’t really heard of them at all until they got in contact. However when they asked me to take a look through their summer range I really, genuinely, was pleasantly surprised. So many gorgeous items – so much to choose from!

Let me take you through what I chose

Summer Clothing with Simply Be

Monday, 29 May 2017


I'm a big lover of Retro toys as well as toys that are quite simply just a bit different. After receiving a few questions about where items from Lily's room were from I've decided to start a long running series on my blog about the different toys and collectables Lily has in her room.

I wrote last week about my love for collectables and this week I'm talking about something a liiittle more retro. Some of the most long running and most popular collectables around are of course Hello Kittys. Having begun in Japan in the 1970s the Hello Kitty brand has grown to incredible heights and are still continuing to do so today.

The amount of Hello Kitty related items out there is insane.

Cute + Quirky toys #2 - Hello Kitty

Thursday, 20 April 2017


I'm a big lover of Retro toys as well as toys that are quite simply just a bit different. After receiving a few questions about where items in Lily's room are from I've decided to start a long running series on my blog about the different toys Lily has on her shelves.

Unicornos are my current favourite collectables. I love blind boxes, I think I get just as excited as Lily by them, and there's just something really magical about Unicornos in particular. They're by a brand called Tokidoki who I just love full stop, honestly do check them out if you haven't already as they have a really varied range of collectables and the ideas behind them are fascinating.

Cute + Quirky toys for kids #1 - Unicornos

Monday, 3 April 2017



I'm a big fan of jewellery and always have been. Rings, necklaces, bracelets, earrings. There's not much I don't wear! In fact I'm one of those people that feel weirdly naked without a piece of jewellery on..
I was recently gifted a bracelet from the UK based designer jewellery company Chlobo and asked to choose from their latest range.
Looking through their charm bracelets I actually found it incredibly difficult to choose as there was such a versatile range with many that appealed. I eventually decided on the sun & moon charm and since it arrived I've barely taken it off.

The bracelet itself is very dainty and easy to slip on and off.

Chlobo bracelet review

Thursday, 16 March 2017



"The Lighthouse philosophy is all about inspiring our inner adventurer of the simple everyday, whether that’s through woodland wanderings, a breezy coastal walk or a countryside stroll. The Lighthouse AW16 collection is crafted to keep you toasty for Autumnal adventures through leaf scattered forests or chilly conker hunts with your be-mittened little adventurers. Incorporating cosy new fabrics, authentic hand drawn prints and reliable, highly waterproof features - you can enjoy the simple pleasures of an Autumn stroll or spending a few quiets moments to yourself on a park bench."

A company with this motto is a company I'm on board with! Seriously. As soon as I saw this slogan I knew they were speaking to my soul.

Autumn Raincoats From Lighthouse | Blogmas Day 2

Friday, 2 December 2016


It's been so long since I've been able to wear a nice summery outfit. Last summer we had some good weather but I was pregnant and barely left the house thanks to sickness, and when I did venture out I stuck to my leggings and baggy tops. When JD Williams challenged me to style one of the dresses from their lovely summer range I jumped at the chance to wear something nice for a change!

Summer Style with JD Williams

Wednesday, 20 July 2016


This Saturday we were invited along to a family blogger event at Roxy Lanes for some food drinks and bowling. I've never been to Roxy Lanes before, in fact despite living in Leeds I honestly didn't know it existed but being a big fan of Roxy Ball Room I had high hopes, and I wasn't let down. 

Leeds Living with Kids #1 - Roxy Lanes Bowling

Wednesday, 13 July 2016


I'm always a bit wary when it comes to kids apps for Ipads and phones. Mainly because they take up a lot of time with not a whole lot of benefit for the child. I can't sit here and say that I'm one of those parents who doesn't let their child use technology because I'm not - Lily watches more tele and films than she probably should and she gets to play on the Cbeebies app after bath time but in general I'd honestly much rather she played in the garden or did some crafts. 

When Kidloland got in contact and asked if I wanted to review their Kidloland app I thought it would be an app that Lily used once in a blue moon but actually I dont mind letting her spend time on it because it seems to have taught her so much in such a short amount of time.

KidloLand Children's App Review

Monday, 11 July 2016


'How are you feeding them?' is one of the Q's you hear the most when you have a little baby. Every time I'm asked how I'm feeding Arch and I tell people I'm doing mixed feeding it's always met with a bit of a '???' reaction. The questions that usually follow are 'What is that?' and 'How does that work?' and the truth is that mixed feeding wouldn't have been at all possible for me to do without the use of an electric breast pump.

Lansinoh Electric Breast Pump Review

Thursday, 9 June 2016


There's no denying that having a small baby is tough. I've always just accepted that the first 6 months of having a little one means having zero hands free time and therefore no routine whatsoever. The dishes are constantly dirty and there's piles of laundry all over the house but I've found I don't mind all this as much as I thought I would. I love all the teeny tiny baby cuddles I'm getting right now and although Arch is my velcro baby if he's anything like Lily was it means he'll suddenly become super independent as soon as he learns to sit up and all of a sudden my arms will be empty again. That being said there are things that do mean a lot to me such as blogging and photography that are going by the wayside right now simply because I don't have the hands free time to do it . 

It's only since getting my hands on the LapBaby that I've realised it doesn't have to be this way at all. 

LapBaby Review

Monday, 16 May 2016


Did you know that today is Plagiocephaly awareness day?

Plagiocephaly or 'flat head syndrome' as it's often referred to occurs when infants spend excessive periods of time lying or resting in the same position - positions such as the cot, car seat or baby bouncer. This is a condition that is very real with recent research suggesting that as much as 47% of babies are affected.

Plagiocephaly Awareness Day + BabyMoov Lovenest review

Monday, 4 April 2016


This week has been a bit of a productive week for me. I've recently started successfully putting Archer down for naps in his moses basket during the day (thanks white noise!) which has enabled me to get more done whilst he sleeps. I've decided to start tackling the house as I've let it slide a lot lately and as a result it's looking the worst its ever looked. My plan is to work my way through the house bit by bit, room by room and each week I'll be working on a different part of the house till I'm happy. 

This week I decided to start on the kids' rooms.

Redecorating the kids' rooms - Trunki & Stickerscape Review

Monday, 21 March 2016


We go to Sundown every christmas, it's become a bit of a tradition. Sundown go all out at christmas which is what I really like and I always come away from it feeling really festive. Last year when we took Lily she was excited yes, but still a bit too young to understand the whole christmas theme. This year though she absolutely LOVED it and was in awe at everything she saw and it made for the most magical day.

Sundown Adventure Land at Christmas

Tuesday, 22 December 2015


We were recently given an opportunity to review a car; the Peugeot 2008 to be exact. Marketed as a 'stylish crossover' that is 'perfectly at home both in the city or the great outdoors' the Peugeot 2008 sounded right up our street and we were more than excited to try it out. 

Our Experience With The Peugeot 2008

Monday, 21 December 2015


During my pregnancy with Lily I put on over 3 stone and naively thought I'd lose it as soon as I had the baby. Imagine my surprise when after having her I only lost 10lbs and the rest of the weight wouldn't budge! I wasn't happy with the way I looked and through sheer determination I managed to lose the entire 3 stone and more but my gosh did it take a long time. Two years to be precise. 
I tried a mixture of everything to lose that weight - from Slimming World to smoothie diets, cycling and the 30 day shred and to be honest it all got rather stressful, doing that much for such a long amount of time. 

With this pregnancy I'm piling on the pounds again. I'm a little over half way and have already put on a stone and a half so it's looking like I'll gain about 3 stone in this pregnancy, just like with Lily's. Of course it's not a massive deal - I'm fine with it as long as the baby is growing healthily but it's making me think about the ways I want to try and lose the baby weight this time around as I don't think I can go back to two years of constant dieting and exercising just to get back to my pre pregnancy weight. 

Losing The Baby Weight + XLS Medical Giveaway

Tuesday, 3 November 2015



This weeks Friday Favourites features products from Ellie's Beautiful Mess

I discovered this girl and her website a few months ago and I've been obsessed ever since. Ellie creates perfects bits and bobs for your children's rooms. From mobiles and garlands to hair clip holders and more. Her style of decor couldn't be more spot on and the love she has for her creations shines through.

Friday Favourites #5

Friday, 9 October 2015




Before having children the thought of having a cleaner never crossed my mind. However after having Lily I used to joke to James about getting a cleaner in all the time – It was definitely much needed. After a while I started to think well why not!?

 I looked at cleaning prices online and found most of them to be reasonable and I eventually booked a team of cleaners in to come to our old flat and work their magic. However that experience was not a good one.

I wont go into too much detail but they were rude, did the bare minimum and charged more than they’d ask for on the website and I came away from the whole experience feeling annoyed and wishing I hadn't bothered.

When Hassle cleaning company contacted me and offered for me to review their services my first thought was actually thanks, but no thanks. It’s not worth the (if you’ll excuse the pun..) hassle.
However I did decide to go with it as the house has been in desperate need of a clean and I've been neglecting it a lot lately because of how ill I've been. It felt like the offer had come to me at the perfect time.

Hassle Cleaning Company Review

Monday, 21 September 2015


I'm such a mum but I love a good and effective cleaning product!

Zoflora Lavender Scented Disinfectant Review

Tuesday, 15 September 2015