Thursday, 30 July 2020
Eat Out To Help Out Scheme Staffordshire (Rugeley & Surrounding Areas)
Staffordshire, UK
It isn't long until the new Eat Out to Help Out scheme which is an incentive bought out by the Government to help boost the economy and help businesses get back on their feet after being hit hard during the pandemic and having to close indefinitely. This is done by restaurants, pubs and coffee houses offering 50% discount, maximum £10 per diner (food and non-alcoholic drinks only). The rest is then subsidised by the government, meaning that you do not have to do a thing!
From Monday 3rd August until Monday 31st August every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday you will be able to receive discount from any business that has registered with the scheme and you can find a list of businesses here that have registered in your area, you just need to type in your postcode for a list of businesses that have registered so far.
There is no set amount of times that you can visit an establishment, so you are allowed to make as many visits that you require, turn up at any time you like and enjoy any meal of your choosing, it is as easy as that.
How does the Eat Out to Help Out Scheme work?
The Eat Out to Help Out scheme basically incentivises people to eat out at restaurants, pubs and coffee houses during the quieter days of the week to help boost the business where they have lost out due to Covid-19 and hopefully allowing the hospitality industry to recover from the downfall.
So what does this entail?
Here is a bit of information you will want to know about the scheme:
- You will receive up to 50% discount on food or non-alcoholic drinks to eat in or drink in at any registered establishment of your choosing. This is up to a maximum of £10 discount per customer.
- This will be on the quieter days of Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday between 3rd August and 31st August.
- There is not a set limit of how many times you can visit an establishment, so you can visit as many times as you like.
- All diners of any group size can attend and receive the discount.
Is a voucher required?
No voucher is required when attending a registered establishment, you just order your food as and when and the discount will automatically be applied to your bill. But please note that any alcoholic beverages are not included in the discount. The establishment then can claim the reimbursement from the government.
Participating establishments may include:
- restaurants, cafés, bars or pubs
- work and school canteens
- food halls
Can I still use discounts/offers as well?
Any discounts or offers that you would have otherwise would have used before will still count on top of the 50% discount offered. So any blue light cardholders, NHS cardholders, etc are able to get their extra discount on top of what is offered, making your meal even cheaper, how fab is that!
Rugeley - WS15
Towers (Cafe) - Unit 106, Anglesey court, Wheelhouse Road , WS15 1UL59 Horse Fair, Staffordshire, WS15 2EJ
Terrazza (Italian) - 10 Lichfield Street, Rugeley, Staffordshire, WS15 2EH
MUST (Indian) - 19 Market Square, Staffordshire, WS15 2BJ
The Rugeley Spice (Indian) - 7 Market Street, Staffordshire, WS15 2JH
The Bilash (Indian) - 2 Bow Street, Staffordshire, WS15 2BT
The Swan with two necks (Pub) - 40 Brook End, Longdon, Staffordshire, WS15 4PN
The Olde Peculiar (Pub) - The Olde Peculiar, The Green, Staffs, WS15 4DP
The Park Gate (Pub) - 58 Park Gate Road, Cannock Wood, Staffordshire, WS15 4RN
Ye Olde Dun Cow (Pub) - 73 High Street, Colton, Staffordshire, WS15 3LG
Ye Olde Windmill Inn (Pub) - Ye Olde windmill Inn, Windmill Lane , Staffordshire, WS15 4NF
Infinitii (Indian) - Royal Oak, Bagot Street , Staffordshire , WS15 3DB
The Bagot Arms (Pub) - The Bagot Arms, Bagot Street, Staffordshire, WS15 3DB
The Goats Head (Pub) - Market Place, Abbotts Bromley, Staffordshire, WS15 3BP
The Crown (Pub) - Market Place, Abbotts Bromley, Staffordshire, WS15 3BS
Stafford - ST17/ST18
The Shimla Palace (Indian) - Cromwell House, Wolseley Bridge, Staffordshire, ST17 0XS
Wolseley Bridge (Garden Centre) - Wolseley Bridge, Staffordshire, ST17 0YA
Whites Coffe Bar (Cafe) - Oakedge Park, Staffordshire, ST17 0XS
Canalside (Cafe) - Canalside Farm, Mill Lane, Staffordshire, ST18 0RQ
Viceroy (Indian) - 8 Brocton Road, Milford, Staffordshire, ST17 0UH
Brocton Hall (Golf Club) - Sawpit Lane, Brocton, ST17 0TH
The Bank House Inn (Pub) - High Street, Hixon, Staffordshire, ST18 0QF
The Seven Stars (Pub) - Cannock Road, Brocton, Staffordshire, ST17 0SU
Bod Stafford (Pub) - 57 Bodmin Avenue, Staffordshire, ST17 0EF
Hearts and Flowers (Crematorium) - Stafford Crematorium, Tixall Road, Staffordshire, ST18 0XS
Finneys / Totally Delicious (Tearooms) - Finneys Tearoom, Totally Delicious, Stowe By Chartley, Staffordshire, ST18 0LA
The Woolpack (Pub) - The Green, Weston, Staffordshire, ST18 0JH
Penkridge - ST19
Cabin (Cafe) - Cabin cafe, Teddesley Coppice, ST19 5RP
The Boat Inn (Pub) - Cannock Road, Staffordshire, ST19 5RP
Cannock - WS11/WS12
Indulge (Indian) - 238-240, Cannock Road, Staffordshire, WS11 5DB
Dilshad Restaurant (Indian) - 1 Ashworth House, Cannock Road, Staffordshire, WS11 5DZ
Shoal Hill Tavern (Pub) - Sandy Lane, WS11 1RF
Holy Smoke (Bar & Grill) - The Green, Staffordshire, WS11 1UE
The Loft 89 (Restaurant) - 31 Market Place, Staffordshire, WS11 1BS
The White Hart (Restaurant) - 57 Wolverhampton Road, Staffordshire, WS11 1AP
Ego at Tumbledown Farm (Restaurant)- Tumbledown Farm, Four Crosses Lane, Staffordshire, WS11 1RU
Springslade Lodge Limited (Cafe) - Springslade Lodge Cafe, Camp Road, Staffordshire, WS12 4PT
The Barns (Restaurant) - The Barns, Cock Sparrow Lane, Staffordshire, WS12 4PB
Blue Ginger (Indian) - Stafford Road, Huntington, Staffordshire, WS12 4NU
Bellas Coffee House (Cafe) - 71-75 Market Street, Staffordshire, WS12 1AD
Jaipur Lounge (Indian) - Unit 25, 75-79, Market Street, Staffordshire, WS12 1AD
The Hen House (Pub) - 10 Eskrett Street, Hednesford, Staffordshire, WS12 1AR
Lichfield - WS13
Pizza by Goli (Restaurant) - 63 Tamworth Street, Staffordshire, WS13 6JW
Hindleys Bakery & Cafe - 10 Tamworth Street, Staffordshire, WS13 6J
The Tudor of Lichfield (Cafe) - Lichfield House, 32 Bore Street, Staffordshire, WS13 6LL
The Winehouse (Restaurant) - 27 Bird Street, Staffordshire, WS13 6PW
Ruby Cantonese (Restaurant) - 29 St. John Street, Staffordshire, WS13 6NU
The Potting Shed (Restaurant) - Lyncroft Villa, Stafford Road, Staffordshire, WS13 8JA
The Three Tuns (Pub) - Walsall Road, Staffordshire, WS13 8JL
Lichfield Golf & Country (Club) - Tewnals Lane, Staffordshire, WS13 8HE
Canalside (Cafe) - Kingfisher Holiday Park, Fradley Junction, Staffordshire WS13 7DN
Staffordshire is quite a vast area, so I have included the local towns and cities surrounding my hometown of Rugeley, otherwise, this post would have gone on for days. I have included the small and independent companies as they need help more than the bigger businesses at the moment. If you do however would like to see a list of the chain restaurants that are included, you can find more information on the gov.uk website.
Will you be taking part in the Eat Out to Help Out scheme?
Tuesday, 21 July 2020
One thing I have been thinking about recently is different products that we have around the home and different ways we can make them go further, be that little bit more affordable and be natural and eco friendly at the same time. The main reason for this is I am becoming a little bit conscious of what we use and how much we use of certain items and researching whether or not it would be cost-effective and environmentally friendly to carry on as we are or if the products we already use cause a negative impact on the way we live.I am starting out with baby steps as doing the swaps may save us money and be better in the long run, but changing everything completely in one swoop will be costly, so will be taking it very slow and thought I would start out with something that I use every day without fail and I know will save me quite a bit of money in the long and won't be clogging up the landfill with unnecessary waste as I know my bin gets full with these quite quick.
I found these Triboo Clean Green Eco-Friendly Reusable Cleansing Pads, whilst scrolling through Amazon on the search for a bargain. If I am able to be a penny pincher, I will where possible and try and get the best deal! If we are going to try and save money by making the swaps, why not try and save the money before buying them too? There may be a method in my madness on this one.
The main use for my cotton pads is for my everyday skincare and for my makeup removal, which I can usually get through quite a few of these, depending on how stubborn my makeup is. I tend to only use a couple when it comes to my regular skincare, which is a bonus at least. But I know that once I use the cotton rounds, I will be able to keep using them over and over.
The cotton rounds being 100% bamboo cotton is what caught my eye when I was looking at these and I was quite surprised how soft these were when I first opened the package. They are double-sided and stitched with soft cotton, quite like a really soft and smooth flannel-like texture, so won't be rough on the skin. What I also like is that they're not too thick and they are not too thin and don't feel like they will make your skin drag when doing your skincare or removing your makeup and for someone with sensitive skin like myself, that's an upside.
I decided to go for the 21 cotton rounds, as it works out to be around 3 weeks worth, depending on what you are using the cotton rounds for. As I'm not really wearing makeup much at the moment, they will only be mainly used for skincare, so won't need cleaning as often. They come with their own little laundry bag so once you have used one, you can stick it in the laundry bag ready to pop in the washing machine when they finally need cleaning and can be reused all over again. They can even be popped into the tumble drier and they will not shrink!
On first impressions, I am really intrigued by these and I am looking forward to giving them a good go. I've had a lot of recommendations to reusable cotton rounds, so I can imagine they all do the same thing no matter who you purchase from. They are suitable for all skin types, 100% cotton, reusable, machine washable and tumble drier friendly and they claim to be able to remove makeup without any product! Although I like to use the product on my skin as it's accustomed to a certain routine now. But I will try without just to see if the claims are actually true.
I am looking forward to slowly changing the products that I use and see what changes I can make for the better. Are there any eco-friendly changes you have made in the home or to your beauty products, etc? Let me know which ones you use and I will have a look!
Tuesday, 5 May 2020
Reading blogs has to be one of the most popular forms of being able to keep up to date with your favourite topics, whether it be reading about a new beauty product release or looking up a recipe that someone had made, etc. These days, people tend to opt to look online, rather than read literature. With the internet being fast at the fingertips, the world wide web is only a click away. It is often a massive misconception that you must be a tech-savvy individual to even think about starting your blog, but is just not the case at all. Even the biggest of beginners can start their own blog, I was a beginner once! if you are thinking about starting a blog, I'm hoping with these simple steps you can start a blog of your very own.
Select the perfect niche/topic.
The first thing you will need to do before contemplating starting your own blog is to decide what niche your blog is going to fall into, and what topics you are going to write about to reach your target audience. Although most blogs are originally made as a hobby, it is nice to think that people out there will read your blog and take something from it. So, if this is the case then write topics you are interested in and your target audience will soon follow. This does take time though, so don't expect it to happen overnight. Even the biggest influencers didn't become popular overnight and I am still building a following with my new blog now!
Choose a blogging platform.
The most popular blogging platform I think seems to be Blogger. Blogger has always been my go-to blogging platform because it is very user-friendly and quite simple to use, even for beginners. But it all depends on where you want to go with your blog, which will be your focal point for choosing your platform. I find that most people who make a living out of blogging will sway more towards Wordpress, whereas those who are just starting out and using blogging as a hobby, they will more than likely stick with Blogger. But there is also Squarespace, Wix or even Tumblr for your most basic platform.
Choose & buy your domain name.
Whilst choosing a domain is not necessarily something that you have to do as it isn't a necessity, it creates an identity for you and is a great way of creating your own brand. Realistically your blog will be you and all about you. So you want a domain name that fits in with your niche. My domain name is my name because it is my blog and it is Lifestyle based, so it fits perfectly for my brand. It's just short enough to type out, that you don't get bored of typing at the end. There are many domain providers out there, but you have to find the right one for you. I went with Google domains as it is super easy to set up, you just put in the domain name that you want to create and it will automatically set up the redirects for you, so it is easy as 123. But if you want to look elsewhere, such as GoDaddy or 123-reg, then they both have setup guides that are quite simple to follow. You just have to do your research and see which one is the best fit for you.
Find the right theme.
If you are anything like me then you will be super picky in what theme you want on your blog. I did buy once when I started this up but I wasn't really satisfied and changed it again, I really need to work on that. But you need to find a theme that works for both you and your blog. You want to look for something easy on the eye, user friendly and also SEO friendly too! You don't want something that is too bright, cluttered and is just a mismatch, as you'll find people will not want to stay on your blog. You will find that you can search for blog themes via Etsy, one of my favourites being Templates By Kate who provides blogger only themes, but she also provides support and can even install the templates for you, if requested. Another popular templated provider is Pipdig who I have used previously and provide an array of Blogger and Wordpress themes and offer Wordpress migration too.
Plan & write your content.
To have content, you need to write content and to write your content, you need to plan what it is that you are going to write about. You need to think carefully about your chosen niche and plan around that for the type of posts that you are going to put on your blog. With some blogging platforms, you are able to schedule your content to go up at a certain time, on a certain date which you can stick to or if you're like me, you put up content whenever you want to. You make a routine to suit you and your everyday lifestyle. If you use your blog professionally, then you will more than likely want to post quality content quite regularly. I try and come up with ideas and then I like to note them down or print them off. Then I tick them off as I go.
Use Social Media to promote.
Using your socials plays a big part in getting your content out there and gaining readership. You have to figure out what Social Media works best for you, whether it be Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest which I find everyone to be very useful. Using suitable hashtags to get your posts out there and networking with other bloggers to build readership and hopefully get a loyal following. But you can't expect it to be all one-sided. Try commenting on other blogs, talking to people through your social media, this all comes in useful when you're trying to build rapport for yourself and others. You can also do a keyword search for what is most popular and trending at the moment, to try and drive more traffic to your blog and hopefully build your way up into the Google search engines.
That should be everything to get you started and hopefully build your confidence up to start your own blog!
That should be everything to get you started and hopefully build your confidence up to start your own blog!
*Disclaimer: This is not a collaboration. All honest opinions and words are that of my own. Image sourced from Pexels.
Tuesday, 28 April 2020
My son seems to be teething like mad at the moment and I have noticed that his gums are really bumpy and it does look like teeth are about to erupt and look rather uncomfortable. You can just see the teeth resting on the surface of the gums and they definitely look as if they are causing a degree of discomfort in there. The way that he gnaws at his hands or chews on his toys is definitely a dead giveaway. He's a stickler for chewing on things anyways, but when it gets to the point that he's really hammering them gums down, you know those little tooth pegs wants to make an appearance.
Inbetween teething gels, teething crystals, and the odd dose of Calpol for when he's really in pain I have introduced teething toys for him to get his 'teeth' into. One that I found very helpful is the Matchstick Monkey, he has both the Original Teething Toy and the Mini Monkey Teether, depending on what mood he is in. Definitely a firm favourite in-between Sophia the Giraffe, the Trumpet and his Icy Car Keys, so little teeth but so many teethers?!
Matchstick Monkey is a monkey that comes in a large variety of bright colours, sizes and even animal type. You can now get a Lion or Bear teether, depending on what your little one likes! It may be the teething you'll find your little one reaching for as they go through their own little teary-eyed teething days. They are ergonomically designed for your little one's hands, so they are easy to grab and hold on to which is also fab for your babies motor skills development and to take on the go when needed.
The Matchstick Monkey teether is:
FDA approved food-grade silicone and BPA free, non-toxic and environmentally friendly, so you definitely know it is going to be safe to go into the mouth of your little one without worrying that they will be ingesting something they shouldn't be.
Ergonomically designed for your little one's motor skills development from an early age, my little one definitely loves to grab things which he gets better at each passing day. It is lightweight and easy for little hands to hold, so perfect to use at home and on the go.
The teether is flexible and gentle on little gums, with added bumps on the monkeys head to help massage those gums gently and ease the pain that comes with teething, the bumps also cling onto the teething gels that can be applied safely and hygienically, even to hard to reach molars.
It can be used as a pre-training toothbrush, as your baby moves the teething toy around their mouth, it is teaching them the skills to get used to brushing their teeth as they grow up and they know to brush their teeth every day when they're toddlers.
The bonus is that it is both dishwasher safe and fridge friendly. It is also suitable for putting in the freezer, although this is not recommended by the NHS, but is down to the individual. No judgement from me anyways with what you choose to do.
Suitable for both steam and cold water sterilisation, although you can just run a Milton wipe over it and it would pretty much do the same job. But would definitely recommend sterilising when they are young.
Suitable for both steam and cold water sterilisation, although you can just run a Milton wipe over it and it would pretty much do the same job. But would definitely recommend sterilising when they are young.
Is it affordable?
They are not exactly a budget buy but I wouldn't say they were completely expensive either as there is a large range of products at different prices to suit everybody's budgets and needs. It is something I would reach for more over than the rest of my sons teething toys and he loves Sophia, but Matchstick Monkey has a lot that Sophia can't offer in terms of comfort and pain relief. The prices can range between anything from £4.99 to £14.99, depending on what age and type of teether it is that you require.
Does it do the job?
Most definitely, whenever I give Matchstick Monkey to my son is gnaws at it like there is no tomorrow and he feels quite content doing so. I'll apply a little teething gel on the head for him to rub around his gums, with a mix of giving teething crystals too just for that little bit of extra comfort on his gums. He tends to look quite happy and relaxed afterwards, so would 100% recommend.
Why Matchstick Monkey over other brands?
Matchstick Monkey tends to be the teether that my son enjoys most. He has a plethora of other teething toys as mentioned above, but they don't have the detail and pain relief capabilities as Matchstick Monkey does. They do have somewhat of temporary relief, but only for a short time and don't have the same coating that stops the build-up of bacteria, making it more hygienic than other teethers.
Do you use Matchstick Monkey for your little ones? If not, what is your go-to teether for pain relief?
*Disclaimer: This is not a collaboration. All honest opinions, words and photographs are that of my own.
Wednesday, 22 April 2020
Baking Banana Bread is one of those hobbies that the majority of the country has picked up whilst stuck inside in isolation. With most of the ingredients not being hard to get and typically being inside most pantries and food cupboards. I believe everyone has chosen this recipe because it is one of those bakes that is quite easy to make, no-fuss ingredients and it simply tastes quite delicious. I enjoyed my version of the popular bake anyways.
I buy bananas because I quite enjoy them with my porridge, but I have found I've not been reaching for them recently and not being a fan of waste, I decided to use them wisely and put them in a Banana Bread which I know I would enjoy. I am finding cooking and baking quite relaxing and therapeutic at the moment. Obviously, I am a novice baker... so if you are like me and need an easy to follow recipe, then you have definitely come to the right place.
The recipe is enough to make a small loaf, but you can just double the mixture to make a full loaf to serve 10. You will obviously need a mixing bowl and a loaf tin, but I used a shallow dish to make mine, hence the small slices.
What You Will Need:
- 2 Ripe Bananas
- 2 Tbsp Granulated Sweetener
- 1 Egg
- 30g Melted Butter
- 100g Plain Flour
- 1/2 Tsp Bicarbonate Soda / Baking Powder
- 1/2 Tsp Salt
What You Need To Do:
- Preheat your oven to 160°C or Gas Mark 3.
- Grease your loaf tin or shallow dish ready.
- Mash your banana in a bowl and mix in the egg and melted butter.
- Mix the flour, baking powder, salt, and sweetener in another bowl.
- Slowly fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until the mixture combines.
- Pour mixture into loaf tin/shallow dish.
- Put into the oven to bake for around 60 minutes.
Have you been baking recently? Let me know what you have been baking!
*Disclaimer: All honest opinions, words and photographs are that of my own.
Saturday, 18 April 2020
If you had not already noticed by now, I have now joined the journey of Motherhood! My little boy was born Zac Arthur Gilbey on 23rd November 2019 at 11:59 am born 6lb 8oz and he was the most perfect bundle of joy to enter this earth. I will be posting my labour story on another post, but you can read all about my pregnancy.There ain't no hood, quite like Motherhood
I cannot believe that my Son Zac is going to be 5 months old a week today. People were right when they told me it was going to fly by. I thought that the first two trimesters of my pregnancy went fast! But no, the first parts of Zacs' life have gone fast and he needs to stop growing up before his mama's eyes. I got quite emotional over him the other day, the little things that he does and my hormones make me quite a sensitive person. I had to cuddle him straight after because it always manages to cheer mummy up without fail. I can always count on Zac to lift my mood.
I had started my blog again previously when I found out I was pregnant and planned on writing content based on Lifestyle and Parenting. My first post is the announcement of my pregnancy and was hoping to post more! But, as my pregnancy progressed, I was just too exhausted to do anything and with the plethora of ailments that I had suffered from during pregnancy, I didn't have the head space or the energy to carry on with posting, so the blog has taken a bit of a back burner for the moment, but now I plan on trying to post more consistently.
Now that Zac is turning 5 months old soon, I've found that I have a bit more time to do things around the flat and having time for both myself and my boyfriend Matt. Although having a baby does take up the majority of your life I won't lie, I am very lucky to have a child that is generally very happy, thriving, loves his food and has slept through the night since he was 3 months old (Zac suffered with colic and reflux since he was born), but he soon grew out of that and now pretty much is a very happy and smiley baby!
Being a parent kind of hits you like a ton of bricks. You are very excited to meet this bundle of love but you really don't know what to expect either. You get people telling you that newborn life is the easiest and having a toddler is really hard, but everyone's situation is very different and personally I found newborn life very hard, I ended up with post partum blues for the first couple of weeks and I really wasn't myself. I kind of wish I didn't let anyone visit until those 2 weeks had past and felt forced to have people round as they were constantly asking to see Zac. I didn't suffer with postnatal depression, as with help from family I quickly felt like myself again and could start enjoying parenthood. The lack of sleep was a killer.We are now settled into our little routine both as just me and Zac and including being a family, as being in isolation, we've got all the time in the world to appreciate one another and watch Zac grow into the lovely little boy that he is progressing into. He is hitting his milestones very nicely and I couldn't be anymore prouder. He is inspiring a lot of ideas for my parenting content that I want to add to the blog and hoping it'll be of interest to my readers too.
I'm hoping to be a bit more consistent with content, but can't say that will be the case due to having other commitments such as my son! There will still be days where I will sit down with a coffee and start to write and little boy will start crying. As I write this it is nearly the end of his nap, so I'll more than likely be changing nappies and having a play!
Tuesday, 14 April 2020
Not so long ago, I came across a group on Facebook called Acts of Kindness UK (Amazon Wishlists). The aim of the group is to bring joy into peoples lives by using a random act of kindness and gifting someone at least one item from their wishlist, no matter how big or small. The aim is to give to someone, rather than posting to receive gifts, but if you do receive any gifts, then that is an absolute bonus for you! Ever since the Amazon Wishlist craze started it has gone absolutely viral everywhere. I have noticed an increased influx on Twitter and it's amazing to see so many people come together and spread joy into other peoples lives.
I have been gifted a few items off my wishlist already and always puts a smile on my face and I open up my post to some happy mail. The very first item I was gifted was a Garnier face mask and for something so small and simple, it did bring me joy that someone went out of their way with their own random act of kindness to put a smile on my face. From then on every now and again I have set myself a budget each month and I will pick a few people to gift items. I don't do it to receive a thank you, but in a way it makes me feel really good.
Just because someone has bought something from your list, you are under no obligation to buy them something back. People don't give to receive, that's the aim of the game.
- Just because someone has bought something off your list, doesn't mean that you are obligated to buy anything back. Not everyone has the funds to return the favour to every single item they receive. The aim is to buy for other people, not to aim for getting as many gifts as you can. As nice it is to receive items from your wishlist, the end game is to bring joy to others.
- Please add your delivery address to your wishlist. I tried to send someone an item as a little surprise gift, but because their delivery address was not attached, I had to let them know before I purchased the gift for them. It kind of ruins the surprise element of it. You can add your address in the settings, pretty simple stuff.
- I found at the start I was just adding items willy nilly (before I joined the group and shared my link). I didn't really have a need for a wishlist. But now I just add items I know I will use and appreciate, but nothing too over the top. Unless you want to buy me a brand new Macbook?
- The more cheaper items you have on your list, the likelihood someone will buy this for you. Not everyone has the money to buy everyone an £8 item all the time. So try mix it up a bit with some more affordable products. Keep in mind peoples different spending.
If you are going to share your link with others, make sure that you are going to return the favour to at least one other person. Although noted above it says not to feel obligated to buy someone else something, it is only fair that you buy someone at least something. Then you are not coming across as a bit of a beg looking for people to buy you stuff. My link is here, don't feel like you have to get me anything, but feel free to take a look for a bit of inspo!
Please leave me your amazon links below if you would like and let people check yours out too!
*Disclaimer: This has no affiliation with Amazon. All honest opinions and words are that of my own. Image sourced from Pixabay.
Sunday, 12 April 2020
Ever since having my son, one thing I have been trying to do more of is keep active, I don't move about as much as I should do, unless it is of course to play with my son, to change his nappy, to feed him or to give him cuddles or to burp him, etc. I want to be able to keep active, get fit and become a lot more healthier. But, I want to be able to do all of this without going to the gym and without having to pay for a gym membership (I'm all about saving some pennies). Why pay for a workout, membership or personal trainer when you can do it yourself for absolutely free and from the comfort of your own home?
Not everyone can afford a gym membership or a personal trainer and not everyone enjoys going to the gym to work out in front of everyone. With me, it's a case of having a child and I can't just drop everything during the day to go workout as I have prior commitments. Luckily, in the year 2020 we have the internet at our fingertips and can look up any workout or health regime by searching on google or having a flick through YouTube, as there are a plethora of videos to choose from.
The positives to being able to workout at home is that you are able to workout absolutely anywhere and anytime, so there really is no excuse (if you are looking for one). Whether it be in the living room in the afternoon or in your bedroom at 3am. You can choose to do it when it suits you and your lifestyle.
Please note: To be able to workout from home you must have access to a laptop, iPad, tablet or remote computer with video and sound capabilities. You must also have a safe space to workout around in, to reduce the chance of injury to yourself and others around you.
Quick tips to boost your workout:
With having no equipment around, unless of course you have any dumbbells or kettlebells to use for your workouts, then hopefully these pointers will have boost your workout and help better to keep you motivated.- Play some music - I tend to put Alexa on in the background and use my own music to workout, rather than listening to the backing music of a video. I prefer having the choice of what I workout to and I can put on music that's going to get me extra pumped. You can even sing along to it, it's your workout and it is entirely up to you.
- Turn your phone off - I make sure to keep my phone in another room when I am doing my workout, so I am not distracted by those notifications that come up on the phone and I am not tempted to check my social media rather than focusing on doing the workout as planned. The more you eliminate the workouts, the likelihood is that you will complete the workout.
- Set yourself a goal - Each time before you work out, set yourself a goal or a target of what it is you want to aim for. Whether it be you want to work out for at least 30 minutes or an hour. Set yourself a clear goal and work towards it, even if you don't get it first time.
- Find a workout you enjoy - If you are not going to enjoy working out, then you are going to get bored easily and will probably end up quitting way before half way through and think what is the point and just give up. If you find a workout that is both challenging and fun, you'll more than likely complete it.
- Plan ahead - Find that one or more workouts that you'll do and schedule them into your week and make it part of your routine. Once you know it's booked into your day and you've allocated time for it, then it will become habit and you'll carry on.
Different workouts you can try out:
Yoga
Yoga is definitely one of those workouts that I want to try. It is something a bit different than your all round usual workouts of running on a treadmill or stepping on an elliptical. It is something that is quite easily done from your living room and there are plenty of videos for beginners, which I think I will be using once I add it to my workouts. Yoga focuses on strength, flexibility and breathing to boost physical and mental wellbeing.
Pilates
Pilates is easily done on a mat at home; it focuses on core strength to improve general fitness and wellbeing. As someone who can be quite anxious I feel as though this is something I could benefit from as well as Yoga. There are plenty of videos to follow over at Blogilates and ones for beginners too. Some of them even look like fun!
HIIT Circuit Workouts
HIIT which stands for High Intensity Interval Training was my favourite kind of workout when I did go to the gym. I had my own person workout on the treadmill and it definitely got the blood pumping and the heartbeat going. Perfect for on the spot training if you don't have a massive amount of space in your home and The Body Coach has circuits for beginners too.
There are definitely quite a few workouts you can do from home, but these are just a few to try and break you in at least. One of them I have already tried and the other two I will be adding to my workouts. Anything to boost my mental well-being as well as my physical well-being. Ever since I gave birth to my son I have suffered even more with my back, hips and legs more than usual, so trying to keep myself from seizing up.
Let me know if there are any home workouts that you do!
Let me know if there are any home workouts that you do!
*Disclaimer: This is not a collaboration. All honest opinions, words and photographs are that of my own.
Friday, 10 April 2020
There is a lot of parents out there who are at home, either currently on maternity leave as first time parents, have been furloughed from work temporarily, on their day off from being a key worker or are a full time stay at home mum/home maker. Some parents would have joined baby groups and classes, to keep their little ones entertained and to help with their babies development. Some have joined for the social aspect, to make new friends and just to simply get themselves and their babes out of the house. But, what happens when that gets taken away all of a sudden?Well, luckily with the internet quite literally at our fingertips, we are able to stay connected and the entertainment can be bought to you from the comfort of your own home. All you will need is an iPhone with wifi and is camera/microphone enabled, an iPad, tablet, laptop or computer again, with webcam enabled. A lot of baby groups and classes are now coming online, so you are able to still socialise with those mums you saw every week and with the babes your little one attended with. All thanks to the Zoom application bringing people together.
Me and my son Zac attend a local group called Tots Play, we originally joined when he was only a few weeks old. The class we first started out at was Baby Development, which is designed for babies from birth to 6 months old. I was thinking of joining a baby group when I was pregnant with Zac and I had attended one prior with my cousin and thought it was a fab little group to join for play and development. The Baby Development course is 6 weeks long (one class per week) and you get a workbook, free music download and a bottle of organic massage oil.The course that we are currently doing is Discovery Tots which is designed for babies from 8 weeks to crawling, but there is no added extras to this course. Quite a few mums are a part of this class, which I think is fab because you get to meet new mums and your little one gets to make new friends! Even if it is online, you can still see each other and interact. Luckily I am in a Whatsapp group with the OG's and we check in on each other every now and again and see how the babes are doing.
Now that the classes are online, no one gets to miss out on what they had already paid for! They can still attend group and all from the comfort of their own home. If you have wifi, a means of watching your group leader and sound to listen to the music, then fab online groups are definitely for you! Your babes can watch all the fun going on, as well as enjoying the music. They are also learning with their development which includes baby sign language (I find this one quite interesting), there is also dance, exercise, baby yoga, massage and ending with downtime.As you can see, this is my setup everytime we join in with Baby Development. I'm quite lucky to have large living room space, so there is plenty of room for play, dance and moving around (which there can be a lot of, groups are fun!). We use Zacs styrofoam mat as he has his own little play area in the living room and I use the coffee table to put the laptop on and make sure we're in view and we can see the screen and see all of the other mummies and babies.
This week it was Easter themed, so Peter Rabbit joined us for some fun. Couldn't get the musical instruments out as little man was feeding half way through, we did however get to join in on an Easter egg hunt, as I had hidden Easter eggs all around the living room for Zac to find and then popped them into Georgies Easter basket! Quite a fun class, from what we joined in of anyways.
This is how Zac tends to end up after nearly every class, it not only teaches them different skills for their development, but it is also fab for nap time too and sends them to sleep. It really tires them out, so Zac finished off with a snooze in his Sleepyhead (one of the best purchases).So, with all the uncertainty going on at the moment and most of the baby groups going online, why don't you give one a go? Some groups will let you pay a one time fee to try a group out before you join in altogether, just to give you a taste of what it will be like and if it's something you would like for you and baby. I definitely recommend doing the baby groups online, Zac loves them and I look forward to them each week. I have even joined another online group to break the week up nicely and also gives us a bit of routine to our week.
Are you thinking about joining a group online or has your group already moved online and are you loving it and enjoying the experience? I fully recommend it, if it is something your baby will enjoy and thrive from. Even if it isn't online and you can attend face to face, my opinion is still the same.
*Disclaimer: This is not a collaboration. The course was purchased with my own money. All honest opinions, words and photographs are that of my own.
Wednesday, 8 April 2020
I have been blogging for as long as I can remember, as early as 2001 to be exact. I was just never consistent with my previous blogs in terms of themes, blog names and content. I did manage to build a good following with my previous blog, up until I started Open University and working Full Time, I had to put my old blog on the back burner until it became kaput and was eventually shut down. I feel sad that it is gone because I built a rapport with my readers and the brands I worked with and it came to such a sudden end and my DA had disappeared along with it. But, at the same time, I look back on it and think, I did that all by myself and I was self-made. I was quite proud of myself.
Fast forward to 2020, I am 30 years old living with my boyfriend Matthew and we have a nearly 20 week old baby together (or he will be on Saturday 11th April). I am nearly on my 6th month of maternity leave and I have a lot more time on my hands, even with a baby I do manage to get a lot of jobs done, feed myself and live a relatively normal life (sometimes). So I thought why not restart my blog back up, mainly as a hobby of course and create lifestyle and parenting type content! I definitely have the skills and experience now, right?
It's Fun
One of the main reasons I started my blog is simply because I find it fun! I love being able to create brand new content for people to read and I find writing is therapeutic, even if I do have a baby babbling beside me for the most of it, but we shall call him my little assistant. I like sitting down and writing down ideas of blog posts I am going to write and ticking them off as I go along. I even have a check list and a blog post planner to help me plan my content, so even if I am doing it as a hobby, I can still work on the SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) of the blog, so I can try and reach a wider audience.
So there is a few reasons why I started my blog back up again! I hope you enjoy my future content x
I Have The Time
My blog is not my full time job, as I currently do not make money from my blog and I do not receive PR gifts in consideration for a review, so I don't have the pressure to post. However, I do have the time to post if I wish. As It is a hobby, I'm not under a deadline to get content up, so I can create content and post whenever I please. But, as I like consistency, I try not to leave it too long between postings. At the same time, I also don't have a weekly plan of when content will be going up, I just kind of wing it at the moment.Kind Of Relatable
I have noticed that there is an increase in lifestyle and parenting bloggers since time has gone by. Bloggers that I follow have become mothers themselves and as they have grew and changed with their children, in a motherhood kind of way, so has their content. So when I had a child of my own, I could relate to their content and with my blog. it will be relatable to them too. That and there is a current niche in the market for parenting bloggers and it's not too saturated. With parenting, the blogging topics are never ending.Sense Of Community
With all different types of Social Media being at your finger tips, it is easy to stay connected to other bloggers whom you may share the same interests with or bloggers whose content you enjoy the most. You may post on Instagram sharing your everyday life through photographs and short captions or what is mostly known as 'micro-blogging', but that in itself is a taboo subject, so we won't go into that. You can also share your content on your socials, so you can reach a wider audience and I find there's nothing better than getting a new notification to say someone has commented on your post.
Cures The Boredom
I'm not saying the only reason I blog is because I am bored, but it definitely kills the boredom and gives me a sense of fulfillment, doing something that I really enjoy and something I don't find is a complete chore. I get excited at the fact that there is a chance that someone out there is reading my blog and actually enjoying my content, but may be able to take something from it too. Sometimes blogging can be challenging, so it is definitely one to keep the boredom at bay.Writing About What I Love
I only ever write about content I would be interested in myself and what I would like to read on other peoples blogs. But, I also write what I think other people would like to read too. I get to write about an array of different topics, such as beauty, food, lifestyle and parenting. I only really create content and write about topics that I am confident in writing about. I won't ever feature something on my blog if it is something that would never normally interest me originally, so you can expect 100% honesty from me.
So there is a few reasons why I started my blog back up again! I hope you enjoy my future content x
*Disclaimer: All honest opinions and words are that of my own. Image sourced from Unsplash.
Sunday, 5 April 2020
Six Things I Didn't Like About My Pregnancy
United Kingdom
This is my first pregnancy and I really did not have it that easy!For an experience that is meant to be one of the most magical and special times in your life, it didn't half cause me some grief down the line. You would see everyone being pregnant with their cute little bumps and they would be absolutely glowing. Then there would be you, an actual lump with everything that could possible happen, happening, if you know what I mean? You wouldn't think it wouldn't happen, then it just kinda does. I wanted to enjoy my pregnancy and I just couldn't wait to give birth. It was emotional because I wanted it to be over, more for the fact of meeting my new baby boy, buy at the same time so everything would just go away. The labour went far smoother, even if I did have a 2nd degree tear, but that's a different story.
Bleed At 11 Weeks
Matt had just gone to his Dads to start work on his backgarden and I had just got up to get ready for the day. I went to the toilet as normal and there was quite a bit of blood on the tissue. I had just automatically thought of the worst possible and rang Matt. I was crying and panicking because I thought that the inevitable was happening. Matt quite literally dropped everything that he was doing and rushed home to be with me. I had rang the sister hospital to where I was going to give birth, as the other hospital was normally too busy to get through by phone and the nurses have internal numbers to speak to each other faster. But as it was a weekend and a Sunday, they wasn't open until Monday. I had to wait 24 hours for a scan, 24 excruciating hours of not knowing whether or not I had just miscarried my child.The next day I attended my appointment, but rather than attend the antenatal clinic, my appointment was made with a gynaecologist, who would proceed to do a transvaginal exam on me rather than a normal abdominal scan. As soon as she inserted the wand inside me, little Zac popped up on the screen straight away and I could see his little heartbeat flickering. I automatically started crying and I was glad that everything was okay. This was just the start of many hospital visits and injections (I'll get to that part) - I found out that I had a weak spot inside my uterus and even me walking made me bleed!
Rhesus Negative Blood
One of the things they do when you're pregnant is test for what blood type you are. This is just in case that you happen to be rhesus negative, there's a small chance that your child could be positive. I had several bleeds since my 11 weeks of gestation and the anti-d injections to go with.It basically means that if either of our bloods were to cross, as it stops my body building anti-bodies to reject my own baby if I ever had a bleed. My blood type happened to be A negative and each bleed I had resulted me in going to the hospital and having to receive an anti-D injection. These injections I wouldn't wish on anyone, as they really sting when you have them although they are worth it because without them, there was a small chance that my little boy wouldn't have survived. I am thankful that these injections exists. Luckily, after only a handful of times, the bleeding happened to stop.
Gestational Diabetes
I was diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes at around 12 weeks of pregnancy. I had attended a hospital appointment, where I had to have bloods taken, drink a glucose laden drink and wait for 2 hours for my body to do it's thing and then have another set of bloods taken hoping that my pancreas had done what it was supposed to (by creating insulin) and regulating my blood sugars. They test for this because there's a chance with someone who has been diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes, that they could have big babies and the babies could end up with diabetes too.My body was kind of weird because most of the time, with anyone with gestational diabetes your blood sugars would start off relatively low and would then be higher after you've had the glucose drink as the pancreas is unable to produce enough insulin to regulate the sugar. But my blood sugars were higher than normal before the drink, my body had produced enough insulin and bought the sugars down. But as my sugars were 0.1 off at the start, this meant that I was a gestational diabetic.
The only time my bloods were really out of the ordinary was when I was ill and they had spiked to an almighty 12.3, but apart from that they were otherwise perfect and I was able to keep them stable by diet only. Although they had tried to put me on metformin and insulin.
PGP/SPD (Pelvic Girdle Pain/Symphysis Pubis Dyfunction) & Sciatica
Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction is a collection of uncomfortable symptoms caused by a stiffness of your pelvic joints or the joints moving unevenly at either the back or the front of your pelvis.I was diagnosed with SPD quite late on in my pregnancy, although it was something that I had suffered with quite early on. I tried to manage it myself by taking paracetamol whenever I had suffered with a painful episode, but it got to the point that I just couldn't quite cope with the pain and it all got a bit too much. I found it quite hard to maneuver to places to the point where I was close to trying to get myself a wheelchair or crutches.
I found it quite difficult just to get off the sofa and at one point, I was dragging my legs across the floor and pulling myself to the toilet just to get to the toilet, screaming out in pain and being in tears in the process, I just had enough and the pain was unbearable. Probably thinking why didn't you do anything? By the time I got a referral for physio, I would have given birth and taken Zac home by then so I carried on. When the pain is bad though it felt like I was being pulled in different directions.
To add on top of all of that, I also suffered with sciatica, if I stood for too long my right leg went numb and pain radiated down my leg and it really hurt to walk with the mixture of SPD with it too. It made going anywhere a challenge, so I rested up as much as possible. I got shooting pains in my buttcheek and had to sit down to give my leg a break.
Water Infections
Nearly every water sample that was taken from me showed that there was Leukocytes/White Blood Cells or Protein in my waters. This meant that there was an infection there, but I had little to no symptoms off this. The first being that I had ecoli in my waters, not sure how that happened, but it did. So I got the talk of 'Wipe front to back', as you should do being a lady. So I was pretty much on antibiotics throughout my pregnancy.Third Trimester Blues
I experienced third trimester blues - I was fed up, sick of not being able to sleep properly, tired of being in pain and not being able to roll over in bed without being in pain. I was constantly getting teary eyed and feelings of guilt because I couldn't do much. When I did attempt to do anything, I had to sit down after a while because I felt exhausted, the SPD and sciatic would kick in, I was exhausted from it all and I just wanted to sleep all the bloody time. I wrote this as my boyfriend slept away peacefully and I was sat in bed thinking when am I going to get to sleep and it made me sad just thinking about it!I wrote all of this for my group The Mum Gang when I was currently pregnant and wanted to make a post out of it. I just wanted to say that not all pregnancies are like this and this is my own individual experience so no scaremongering going on here. But this is what happened to me and these are the things I didn't like. I was quite surprised my labour went so smooth, considering my pregnancy made me miserable.
I was ready to give birth at this point. I can honestly say the only part of pregnancy I did enjoy is feeling my baby boy move and I really couldn't wait to meet him. But everything else had just made me not enjoy something that’s meant to be so beautiful and amazing. I was feeling very anxious about being a mother and scared of what my labour was going to be like, little did I know the giving birth experience for me was a breeze.
*Disclaimer: All honest opinions, words and photographs are that of my own.
Sunday, 29 March 2020
Five Date Night Ideas During COVID-19 Lockdown
United Kingdom
It is only a temporary situation and life will go back to normal, so why not try and enjoy the the time together? Whilst it may seem daunting that you are typically going to be living in each others pockets quite literally, it is only for a short period of time, so why not use the time wisely to try and be creative with your 'date night' ideas, it does not have to be boring staying inside. You don't know how long it will be for, so may as well try make it fun.
Being inside together for so long can seem like it will get quite tedious and may get quite challenging as you will most likely feel you are doing the same thing, day in and day out. But you need to plan ahead and make sure you are breaking your day up right and mixing it up a little. It should help keep you motivated, keep your well being in check and to simply stop you from getting bored.
Fancy a trip to the Cinema?
It is quite obvious that a spontaneous trip to the cinema is off the cards for those of you who are film buff couples. But don't let that stop you from indulging in a film or two.
You don't have to spend an arm and a leg to watch some of your favourite movies or watching something new. Gone are the days where you would order two cinema tickets, some popcorn, a couple of drinks and maybe a cheeky packet of sweets and you'd end up £60 down within a matter of minutes. For those who enjoy going to the cinema, this idea is definitely for you.
Why not put together some of your own snacks? Get some popcorn in your 'essential' shop to whip up, with your favourite fizzy pop/drink and you could even buy nachos with dip to make the experience even better.
Plus you have all the films at your fingertips with having different apps available, such as Netlflix, Amazon Prime and there's even Disney+ to throw into the mix. Stick on a film, tuck into your snacks and forget the world for a while.
Ready... Steady... COOK!
With being in doors and everything quite literally at your fingertips, why not have a cook off with your other half? That's if you can both cook, of course! Try whipping up some of your favourite meals.
It doesn't have to be anything gourmet, if you are not a very confident cook you could always try and stick to simple dishes, even if it just just beans on toast. You could even make it come dine with me style and make 3 different dishes for each other to eat and then you have your own 3 course meal and you both have the chance to try something different from one another.
You could even choose the ingredients for each other and challenge one another to make something out of the ingredients chosen and see how creative both of you are. So, grab those foodie items and get cooking!
Have a relaxing Spa Day
When you actually want to book a day at the spa, it can be quite expensive and not everyone has that type of money to burn just to relax for one whole day or maybe even a weekend at most. You will find that you will have already got the tools to have your own spa day at home.
Those candles or wax melts that you haven't burned in a while and are collecting dust in a drawer somewhere, get them back out and burn your favourite scent, get an atmosphere going and create the right environment. You want to feel those relaxing vibes, so try a camomile or lavender scent as they can make you feel at ease too.
Take it in turns by giving each other massages, a great way to get intimate with one another and keep the spark going in the relationship!
Pull out those face masks from your bathroom cupboard, I know I have a couple that are suitable to all skin types too. You can even stick on your night gowns and slippers too for that all round spa feel. If you're going to have a spa day, you might as well do it properly?
Crack out those Card & Board Games
If you were able to get your hands on a couple of board games, before every man and his dog decided to panic buy all of them or you already had a couple stashed away in a cupboard somewhere - it's time to dig them back out again for rounds of fun!
An all time favourite has to be Monopoly, but you may want to think about that one carefully, as I've heard it's a bit of a relationship tester. But if you're anything like me... a simple game of Scrabble is right up my street.
You could even dust off those playing cards and having a few pub style card games. Pour yourself a beer or a glass of wine and challenge each other to a game of 3 of one and 4 of the other. Or you could just go play Go Fish. Whatever tickles your fancy.
Have a go at an Online Pub Quiz
Now that all the pubs have been shut down, the events that would have otherwise happened inside of the pub have now been bought online so you can take part from the comfort of your own home. If you're anything like me it would either be the living room or the bedroom, because there's nothing better than the comfort of your own bed.
Recently, pubs have took to Facebook to ask the residences of the area what theme quiz they would like to partake in. A few being TV series and throwing in General Knowledge, which I would probably better at than answering questions about a TV series I have never, ever seen.
So, what you choose to do, make sure you have fun whilst you're doing it! Remember, stay safe everyone! x
*Disclaimer: All honest opinions and words are that of my own. Image sourced from Unsplash.
Friday, 27 March 2020
I have always wanted to take a First Aid course for as long as I can remember and even wanted to volunteer to become a First Aider at work. It is just something that I have always taken a keen interest in and wanted to learn as it can be very useful in everyday life situations. I knew that when I was pregnant with Zac I would definitely want to learn First Aid, but the courses were always too far away and with me not driving, I could not get there.
So, when my lovely baby group leader at Tots Play told me she was holding Mini First Aid courses for Babies and Children, I grabbed the chance for me and Matt to take part. Luckily with Matt driving and the course being on the weekend, we were both able to attend and we had some friends take part with us too. We were told before hand that we were able to have our babies attend with us, but my mum offered to take Zac for a couple of hours, so we could concentrate if he got hungry/tired.
One of the main reasons for my keen interest in Mini First Aid for Babies and Children is for when I start Baby Led Weaning with Zac, which I won't be doing until he's 6 months old. But *touch wood* it doesn't happen, that if I was to encounter a choking situation, I would know what to do and be able to get him out of that situation as quickly and as safely as possible. Hopefully with BLW being finger sized foods, we won't have to use any of the techniques learned, but always good to have on hand and know.
You will leave the session with a mini sized First Aid book which will give you different instructions for different situations. As you can see above, there is a graph which shows what you should do in a coughing situation, depending on whether you have a baby or a toddler. Obviously, you can't encourage a cough with a baby, so you would just go straight into First Aid mode. We each tried these on the rescue dummies and each had a special outfit on which you could unclog a block in a throat and do the back thrusts without hurting yourself or anyone else.
The main subjects that were discussed during the course were: CPR, Burns, Bleeds, Shock, Choking, Meningitis, Febrile Seizures & Convulsions, Bumps and Broken bones. All of which I find are the most important to keep an eye out for in Babies and Children. Especially when looking out for signs and symptoms as they can typically be individual for the child, so always listen to your own gut instinct. I always say that mother knows her own child best.
Baby resuscitation is not something that you would really want to think about, but it is very handy to know and have to hand, if you were to need to use it. CPR and resuscitation is very different from Baby to Child and then to adult, you have to change the way you treat each patient, as you wouldn't use the same technique on a baby, as you would an adult as the pressure could cause a lot of damage, so there are small changes that you would need to learn. Each is described in more detail in the First Aid for Paediatrics.
I found the course to be very descriptive and in depth and I'm glad that I attended. The group was quite intimate and from what I can remember, including the group leader there was about 11 of us altogether in a room and we were seated around the edge, so there was enough room in the middle for the rescue dolls and equipment. There were tables laid out with information and leaflets, including First Aid Kits (which I will explain below), bump packs and First Aid Books. The course costs about £20 each and you can even learn First Aid from the comfort of your own living room, so why not book a course and get your family involved (luckily my mum is already trained in First Aid!).
At the end of the course, the group leader will offer you to buy First Aid kits to take home with you, which I was eyeing up during the course and always wanted to add one to the household because they will always come in handy! The contents of the kit is what every kit should ideally contain, which is hypo-allergenic plasters (for those with allergies!), Tough cut scissors - this one interest me most because they can cut through anything, including seat belts! Tweezers for those pesky splinters, Bandages and Safety pins for any sprains, breaks or bleeds with Sterile dressings. Individually wrapped wipes, Burns gel and Micro pore tape. All the essentials to take a long with you, just in case.
If you yourself are thinking of taking up a Mini First Aid course, I would fully recommend it. It doesn't mean that you are fully qualified in First Aid (although you can book a course to do this), you will have learned the absolute essentials to get by with your Babies and Children!
For more information about baby and child First Aid and range of classes, you can contact using the following:
- info@minifirstaid.co.uk
- www.minifirstaid.co.uk
Tel: 0113 293 5443
*Disclaimer: This is not a collaboration. the course and First Aid kit was purchased with my own money. All honest opinions, words and photographs are that of my own.
Wednesday, 25 March 2020
When Coronavirus first made the headlines, I won't lie I didn't really think anything of it and shook it off as another one of those breakouts, like bird flu, hand, foot and mouth, etc. We all really didn't know the seriousness of the situation and what was actually going to go down. Never in my life did I think I would be confined to the same 4 walls everyday with no contact from the outside world physically, just electronically and only being able to go out once a day... but here we are. I guess this is what you get when people don't listen to simple instruction.
Previously, Boris Johnson put a ban in place for all pubs, clubs, cinemas, theatres, gyms and leisure centres to close down before shortly putting a close on all businesses that weren't 'essential' and inevitably leading to our lockdown. It was a long time coming and personally I am glad that he has done it, if it means decreasing the chances of the virus spreading and protecting our elderly, vulnerable and those with health problems, then I am all for it. Sacrificing my time with my family and my son not seeing any of his grandparents will be hard, but it is for the right reasons after all.
I would be lying if I said that it wasn't affecting my mental health, it's definitely making my anxiety creep up on me with the unknowing and the uncertainty of the whole situation. Anyone being stuck in the same 4 walls would end up with cabin fever, but luckily with the sun shining and being allowed one walk, I can go out and clear my head at least. I am also worried for my own little family, as well as other family members such as my grandad and those with underlying health issues. I just want them all to stay safe.
I feel sad because I can't see anyone, going from spending almost everyday seeing and spending time with my mum, going for lunches, having coffee around hers or just sitting on our phone around my grandads whilst my son slept on the sofa, all the little things that we would all take for granted. I can safely say, once this has blown over and we are somewhat in the safe zone, I will never take anyone or anything for granted!
Read a book
It is one of those that I will be getting into in-between my sons naps. He naps at least three times a day, so gives me enough time to tuck into a few pages before he starts whinging/crying for his feed. I find having a cuppa whilst putting my feet up and reading a book can be quite relaxing, especially when you enjoy what you are reading.
Netflix
You can always find time to watch your favourite TV shows or films on Netflix. If not, it is time to start binge watching a new series, you've got the time to do it now, so why not? Obviously, don't spend all your time watching Netflix, as there are other things around the house that will require some of your attention at times. So, grab those snacks and enjoy your shows!
Get organising/de-clutter
There is nothing better than having a clear out, de-cluttering your life and organising it. It makes me feel so much better when I can clear out the stuff that I don't use or need anymore either by giving it away, donating or binning it (if it's out of date, worn or can no longer be used). I think I will be doing this very soon myself, it does wonders for my mental health and it makes me feel so much better having a clear space.
Get some sleep
Having enough sleep is essential to everyday life and having a good sleep makes you feel like you can take on the world, I know it does for me anyways with having a 4 month old who is currently teething, going through a sleep regression and has got a cold all at the same time. Use the time to recharge those batteries as it will do you the world of good.
Stay connected
You may be away from your loved ones, but there's no excuse to not stay in touch, especially when you have a phone, computer and social media at your finger tips. So check in on them every now and again, let them know how you are, if you're struggling and need a mental health check in, ask how they are and let them know that you are there, I'm sure they will appreciate it.
YouTube workouts
If you are anything like me then you will not have the foggiest on making up a home workout or where to start. Luckily, with the world of YouTube and how massive it really is, there are plenty of home workouts you can search on YouTube and do on your TV if you have the means to do so, or follow on your laptop, iPad or tablet whichever you want to choose. Another I may start doing as exercise is another one of those things that is fab for mental health.
Self-care
Looking out for number one is always key, whether it be physically and/or mentally. You have got to look after yourself as well as your well being as it is very important. You can do this by relaxing in the bath, putting on a face mask, putting on your favourite music, making your favourite meal or drink, having a chill day in your pjs and taking the time out to think about yourself. Self care comes in many forms, so do what makes you feel the best.
There are quite a few gossip rumours and fake stories surrounding Coronavirus because obviously, some people have too much time on their hands. If you do suffer from mental health, please check for reliable sources before jumping to conclusions and believing everything you read. Just because Sharon has said her nextdoor neighbour has Corona because her cat sneezed on her, it's more than likely not true.
I hope that you're all coping during this uncertain time, look after yourselves, wash your hands and please stay safe x
*Disclaimer: All honest opinions and words are that of my own. Image sourced from Unsplash.
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