My Sunday Photo 27/06/2021

My boys earned a green-blue peter badge this week from cubs and beavers :)

**AD** Top Tips for New Freebie Hunters

Everyone around the globe is obsessed with free things. Who doesn't love things for free? When food is free, it tastes better. When products are free, there is a sense of satisfaction you get that you don't get if you paid for it. This is why you will find hundreds of people flocking to Krispy Kreme when they're giving away free doughnuts. You cannot underestimate how much people enjoy getting things for free. However, if you are interested in learning about how to join the freebie game, there is much more to it than you might assume. There are certain rules that you should be adhering to if you want to get the most out of it. In this article, you'll learn about some tips and tricks that can help you step up your freebie game even if you're a veteran.

1. Don't Believe the Hype

The truth is, a lot of the freebies from JustFreeStuff you'll find being offered are realistic. If something sounds way too good to be true, it very likely is. While the excitement of getting something highly in-demand for free can be exhilarating, you need to keep your reality glasses on. Don't allow your enthusiasm to blind you to the fact that something might not be real. Every transaction comes with an upside and a downside. When you are getting something without paying for it, consumers tend to ignore or even forget about the downside. They end up valuing the free things they are getting as much more valuable than they truly are. This can be problematic because some of these companies are out to get your data. Not every freebie offer is going to be worth it and not every offer will be real. Ensure that the freebie is genuine. You can look up the terms and conditions of the offer to ensure that you have a realistic shot at getting it and that it is worth it. That way, you know what you're signing up for when you do it. 

2. Don't Have Too High Expectations

Going into the freebie process, you might have enthusiasm for what you are getting. After all, you're getting something that you want for free. However, companies likely aren't going to be handing out their full-size products for free to everyone that asks for it. Rather, they tend to use freebies as a way to bait prospective customers into becoming actual customers. They tend to do this by offering samples to prospective customers. That way, you can try the product out which will only make you more likely to convert into a customer later on. This is a win-win for both you and the business in question. After all, they're spending on marketing and you are getting a free product. Also, you shouldn't expect to get every freebie offer that you signup for. Typically, you can expect to get around 70% of the offers you signup for. If you run into a bad luck streak where you're not getting any offers, just keep trying. Eventually, the numbers will even out. To ensure that you aren't wasting your time with the freebies you are signing up for, you should look to read the Terms and Conditions before applying. That way, you can see your realistic odds of scoring the freebie.

3. You Need To Ask

As with most things in life, you don't get what you don't ask for. It's always recommended to contact any brand or company you are interested in getting something from. A lot of these companies are ready and willing to hand out free samples and other things to prospective customers that ask for them. Whether you are looking to try out a product or you are looking to tell them you enjoy their products, it never hurts to ask. Who knows, you might find that more companies than you'd expect throw you a bone here and there.

4. No Guilty Feelings

While you might feel guilty about getting something for free from brands you love, you shouldn't. The fact is, they aren't doing it out of the goodness of their hearts. They are a for-profit business. They are doing it to get something in return. Companies give out free samples and other freebies because it's in their best interest to do so. They know the high cost of acquiring a customer. By gifting free products, they can lower this acquisition cost. Sometimes, giving away free samples and products is much less expensive than paying for other less effective marketing strategies.

5. Don't Use Your Primary Email

The last thing you should be doing is signing up for freebies using your primary email. You'll be creating accounts with these companies and you will be signing up for marketing campaigns. Because of this, you need to have a throwaway email address that you can use to avoid getting spam in your primary email address.

6. You Have Competition

Understand, you aren't alone in the freebie quest. You will have a lot of other people doing the same things. Because of this, you'll need to work to keep yourself ahead of them. The best way to do this is to sign up for our newsletter. That way, you can have the best freebie offers delivered directly to your inbox at the same time every day.

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Free ways to get exercise

Hey readers,

You don’t have to spend a fortune to do exercise, here are some ways to help do exercise without breaking the bank.

1. Couch to 5K. 

A simple but beneficial one is going for a walk or a run outside. There are apps such as couch to 5k that can help you train to build your ability to run. I think it is really good to use if you’re a beginner at running.

2. Football areas.

There are football/basketball areas generally in green spaces or parks which are open to use for free where all you need to do is take a ball to kick about. It is great for taking kids along too and getting fit.

3. Youtube videos.

Online there are so many exercise videos with a wide variety of choices.  There are many you can watch without having to pay for anything. 

There are sites such as YouTube or simply googling free exercise videos that come up with a host of a variety of free material for you to use at your leisure.

4. Up and down the stairs. 

Another exercise you could do at home is walking up and down your stairs. It is a really good way to have a workout, not to mention the benefit of keeping your heart nice and healthy.

5. Outdoor gyms. 

Have a look around locally to where you live as you might find outdoor gyms in the park. They are basically gym equipment that is accessible outside and are free to use. I personally feel it is much better to do exercise outside compared to doing it in a hot and sweaty indoor gym.

6. Green gyms. 

Another new idea that I have recently come across is things called green gyms. They are free outdoor sessions where you work on practical activities such as planting trees or sowing meadows. Not only do you get a good workout but you also get that feel goodness by giving something back to the community.

7. Skipping. 

Another fun way to incorporate exercise in your life is skipping if you have a skipping rope. It is fantastic to tone the legs and if you have kids they love joining in too.

8. Cleaning. 

Get cleaning as it is classified as moderate exercise, so not only are you keeping fit but you are also getting your home sparkly clean. 

9. Walking.

Walking is great especially if you have some good music or a podcast to listen to so you stay focused and enjoy the walk around you. 

Is there anything I have missed on the list that is a free way to get the exercise that you love to do? Love to hear your thoughts in the comment section down below.

Cheers for Reading X

Benefits of Amazon Prime!

 Hey readers,

If you have never heard of Amazon it is basically an online shop where you can pretty much anything from clothes to books, to technology Amazon has it covered. 

You can also buy second-hand items at a reduced price and also your unwanted items to make some money. 

What is Amazon Prime?

Amazon prime is a prescription program where you pay for certain rewards such as Amazon video, next day delivery, you can even do your grocery shopping, stream movies and listen to Amazon music. ( I will go into more detail below). Amazon Prime is also available in lots of different countries.

How much does Amazon Prime cost?

In the UK Amazon Prime costs £7.99 per month or there is the option of paying annually at a cost of £79.00. 

If you are new to Amazon Prime you can have the opportunity to subscribe free for 30 days so you test out the service and can cancel the trial when it ends. 

Amazon students can get a yearly subscription for £39.00 (£3.25 per month) and if you are feeling dubious you can get a six-month free trial to test out Amazon Prime. 

Amazon family costs annually £79.00 and this allows two adults and four children to register with one account to access all the Amazon Prime benefits.

The benefits of Amazon Prime. 

Faster delivery.

With many items on Amazon, you can get the delivery by the next day though this is depending on your postcode. It is really handy if you want someone quick. With Amazon Prime, you also get free delivery instead of having to pay if your a non-Amazon Prime member and can only get free delivery when your orders to over £20. 

Same day delivery - items will be delivered on the same day though do check the time frame on the list next to the product. Again this is subjected to the postcode you live in. 

Property delivery - this is delivered two days after the item is dispatched. 

Expected delivery - items will be delivered between one and three days after placing an order on Amazon. Again this is eligible for certain postcodes so make sure you check before buying so you won't be disappointed. 

Standard delivery - items will be delivered within two to five business days. 

Amazon Prime streaming service.

The streaming service offers a prime video section on Amazon where you can watch 30,000 videos that you can stream unlimited as an Amazon Prime member. 

You can also feast your eyes on Amazon's original shows such as The Grand Tour, Downtown |Abbey, Walking Dead. Not only tv shows but also a variety of films you can watch such as Borat, Lego Movie, and Shazam. 

To stream them it is accessible on many platforms such as Amazon Fire Stick, now tv, laptop, mobile, and game consoles. As long as you have wifi you can download shows from Amazon Prime and watch them on the go.

Prime music. 

Prime Music gives you over 20,000 ad-free songs to listen to, unlimited skips, and the ability to download and play offline., 

If you are an Amazon Prime member there is an offer for Amazon unlimited music for £7.99 a month or if you are a non-Amazon Prime member it would cost you £9.99 which results in an increase of 40,000 songs you can listen to. 

Photos. 

All Amazon customers get 5GB photo storage regardless of having a prime membership. However, with a Prime membership, it allows you to have unlimited photo storage and 5GB video storage so that you can save, share and access photos on a desktop, mobile and tablet. 

Prime gaming. 

With Amazon Prime, you can get exclusive access to twitch via prime gaming with the benefits of ad-free viewing and have access to pre-ordering video games. You can also get games to try and free game content. 

Prime reading. 

Prime reading offers access to prime customers of over 1,000 ebooks. magazines and comics and what is even better are it is accessible on Amazon Kindle free apps so you don't need a reader to take advantage of this offer. 

Every month Amazon gives a free ebook (first read) to read from a selection of popular choices that arent always available for free for you to enjoy. 

Access daily deals. 

Being an Amazon Prime member allows you to check out the lightening deals 30 minutes before everyone else does each day. Lightening deals are where a limited amount of products is reduced for a certain time so best be quick to get a hot deal. 

Amazon Fresh. 

You can do your weekly shop if you wish on Amazon Fresh, including fresh produce, household essentials, popular and specialist bands>
You can have delivery slots from 1-2 hours either via Amazon Fresh or directly from your local Morrisons supermarket. Of course, it is also down to your location and it depends on your postcode if you are eligible.  

Prime wardrobe.

Prime wardrobe is a service that allows you to try on the clothes before you buy them. The kind of items that are included are watches, shoes, women accessories, men and kids categories. 

You have up to seven days to try on the items before decided whether to keep or return the items. Amazon will only charge for the items that you keep. 

Amazon Prime Day. 

Amazon Prime Day is an exclusive event where prime members can get access to special deals on items such as speakers, clothing, and even toiletries. 

Amazon Prime Day this year will be on the 21 & 22 of June 2021 so make that a date to check out any good deals on Amazon. 

Cheers for reading X

Confessions of a Crummy Mummy

My Sunday Photo 20/06/2021

Happy Father's day to the best daddy in the world my boys could ask for :)

Reasons why we love you, daddy

Hey readers,

As is Fathers day coming up I thought I would do a post for my husband who is an exceptional daddy, unlike my dad I won't go there, lol. 

Reasons why we love you, daddy.

You so chilled and don't follow any scedules.

You also stay calm and keep your togetherness whilst mummy is an emotional wreck.

You are really enthusiastic about reading the books at bedtime with different types of voices making it that extra special.

You are so anal and when you do something you put 100% into it. 

You think outside the box and have a creative flair in an organised manner which results in you having quirky ideas and you can bring them to life. 

You are hands-on and a maker and I can't wait for you to make our bunk beds they will be so bespoke!

You keep things simple where mummy struggles greatly with this making everything much more complicated than it needs to be.

Your always open and tell it as it is, a vagina is a vagina no messing about.

You never hideaway and the top lesson that you teach your children is truth whether that be about mental health (mummy's lol) or how the car works.

 Communication is very important for you and you want to pass that importance on to your children. 

You make your children feel calm knowing that you are a true and trusted caregiver in their life. You will protect them and always love them unconditionally.

You have a wicked sense of humour. 

You hold me high on your shoulders making me feel like a warrior.

You are not scared to cry or shamed and open to emotions.

Your the bedrock of this family and keep everything together.

Life is complete with you in our lives.

You accept me for who I am and don't put pressure on me but encourage my strengths. 

Happy Father's day. 

Cheers for reading X 

9 things that annoy me about being a school parent!

Hey readers,

As a parent, it can be lovely but also moments of pure irritation and there are few elements of being a school parent that is really annoying so below I have discussed them. 

1. Homework. 

Of course, homework had to be at the top. I think homework should be banned for primary school children, it is just constant work and trying to get kids motivated.

 Yes, some love it but my kids hate having to do something that is forced upon them. It is stressful for everyone and a lot of pressure for parents which could potentially cause conflict in the home. 

2. Paperwork. 

If homework isn't enough to deal with you always seem to have constant letters and paperwork to fill out. 

You also have to remember to do it and return it. I cannot trust my child to hand it in as it will be in the back when it gets home after school even though you have asked them to hand it in.

 So, trying to remember water bottles, getting kids out of the door, and safely to school have to remember to hand in that dame slip on time, grrrr!

3. Cash.

Ok, these pro-covid times but having to have cash, who has cash???? I only tend to have my money card. You need short change as well to pay for stuff such as tickets or raffles. 

Normally it is at the end of the day where you completely forget to go to the cashpoint before picking up your darling children. 

4. Other parents.

Do I need to say anymore! Jokes though serious I don't understand playground dynamics, can't really be arsed with cliques. 

I just can't be bothered to hear about people's opinions on their little darlings. I am already fucked being autistic and yet again feel like an outsider. 

5. Headlice.

This is something once your kids hit school will receive frequent letters informing you that there is a case of headlice. 

I am already itching thinking about it. Plus if you have already treated your child and got rid of the little sods there will be another child in their class who for whatever reason still has nits and you bet your child will come home the same day with them.

 I may as well just through money down the drain with the amount sometimes we have to buy on head lice treatment.

6.  Being on time. 

Yes once you finally remember everything and your child is ready to leave and then just like that they forget something at the very last minute. 

Or if you are walking at a reasonable pace but you have to constantly shout hurry up we are going to be late because your little darlings won't stop dawdling behind. 

7. Dates.

Having to remember all these dates such as parent's day, sats, after school club, extra meetings with teachers, listening to lectures on how to help your child learn the time's tables, on it goes. It just never stops with the dates flying at you.

8. Dress-up day.

I bloody hate it because I have to fork out extra money for one day or use my imagination which is something I am not good at so extra ball achy don't really need. 

So, is there anything that I have missed off the list that annoys you as a school parent? Love to hear your thoughts in the comment section down below.

Cheers for reading X

Confessions of a Crummy Mummy