30 of the best life hacks.

Hey readers,

Life is hard right and if you can do anything to make it that bit easier than your safe hands as I have compiled 30 of the best life hacks. You won't regret reading this post, check them out below!

1. Don't you just hate trying to find clothes at the bottom of the draw that you can't see, well no more because the problem is solved and it is all about the way you stack them?

2. Remember them things called cassette tapes, well now they have a use, genius!

3. Need help getting organised with leads then check this little hack. 

4. Why did I not think of this before, now I can hope not to trip up on that wee ;).

5. What a brilliant way to store items especially if you are limited with space. You can put your toilettes on shower curtains with clips, bravo!

6. Save some time when moving with this neat hack, all in one transport, boom!

7. What to keep all you’re shopping together then you need this hack in your life.

8. Did someone say fresh sparkling wine?!

9. Nothing is worse than wrapping paper unravelling, no more of that nonsense with this valuable hack.

10. Get annoyed with ads stopping you playing games on phone, not anymore....

11. Have no candles, need instant light check this savvy hack.

12. Who knew cola and blood worked well together?

13. How annoying is it slipping around on the rug, here is a solution to the problem?

14. You learn something every day.

15. Want to clean in between the keys of your keyboard, well here is a smashing idea get a sticky note perfect for getting in them awkward small spots.

16. No asbestos fingers, now you don't have to worry about getting your cheese on toast out of the toaster just move that toaster about.

17. Of course, I knew the hotel TV would come in handy.

18. There is a spring in that hack.

19. Keep it all together in one place with this simple hack.

20. No need to spend the earth on kids during summer with this cost effect delight.

21. Cut down on the space in the kid’s bedroom with this fantastic idea of using zipped freezer bags to store jigsaws in. You would be amazed at how much space you gain from getting rid of all those boxes.

22. Do you get fed up of all the playing cards getting lost then get hold of a soapbox to keep everything in place?

23. You know them Lego manuals keep them all together in a folder.

24. No more spillages with the paint brush.

25. How infuriating are leads getting in a mess, thank goodness for toilet roll?

26. Anything is worth a go.

27. Whoever thought about this is amazing, what a brilliant idea.

28.Cheap storage for spaghetti.

29. No bumps in the night with one.

30. How frustrating is it losing where the tape ends, here is a clever trick to sort that out.

Cheers for reading X

My Sunday photo 7/7/2019

Hot

Hey readers,

My word of the week is:

I will be honest I am not a fan of humid weather and was it hot on Saturday. We did go for a walk, 

 and park in the heat so spend a lot of it hiding in the shade 😂

I much prefer the cooler breeze that came on Sunday.

I helped my son do his homework and it was about when he had a day at school called special values day.

He needed to write about that day. He said his favourite part of it was stroking the dog as it felt like a silk throw on him, which I just loved that description and wanted to share it in this post.

We had a meeting with the psychologist about ds1 and low and behold they said there are some things but not enough to take action. To be honest, didn't expect much cause let's be frank now as school has a tight budgetx and my son doesn't display overt behaviour at school.

My youngest went on a another school trip this week. I swear he goes on so many and has another one lined up next week. He is happy though as he got to play at a play village where it all pretends to play.

Hope you have had a good week.

Cheers for reading X

How to help a child read.

Hey readers,

My youngest has started to read and bring books home. So, it inspired me to write some tips that have helped my eldest and youngest to read.

Read at home.

I think the most important thing to do when it comes to encouraging your child to read is to just simply read to your child and get them involved with listening to the story. This is a great way to get your child familiar with books, it is also a great way to bond. Reading books at bedtime is important to incorporate as it is relaxing and can help get your child to sleep. When reading to your child or getting them to read to you dot pressure them too hard, make it light and fun - they are more likely to want to do it.

Talk to your child.

My second tip to help get your child to read is to talk to your child about the book and let them tell you what the story is about, you could ask about their opinion of the book.

Wordless books.

Wordless books are a great tool to help with introducing reading to your child, they can talk about what is happening on the pages and it helps familiarise with reading.

Think positive and encourage praise.

I know it can be frustrating when you want to do something and want to get your child to meet the expectations. But don't worry, think positive that they will learn but don't aim for them to do such and such with regards to reading at such a certain time. It is important to be laid back, encourage praise because children can sense the negativity especially when you are short tempered. If it is relaxed they are more likely to enjoy reading and want to do it all by themselves.

Be interested in what they are reading.

When listening to your child take an interest in what they are reading, encourage them by asking questions and how they feel or rate the book.

Library.

From a young age, you can take your child to the library and get them interested in books. There are free music and story time books allowing them to have fun and it is something free to do with your little one. Also, during the summer there is the reading challenge where you read x amount of books and receive stickers, activities at the end of a certificate and medal. A great encouragement to read. Another thing to do at the library is to let your child pick out books that interest them, it is free to borrow them. There is a wide selection of books, fiction, and non-fiction.

Space.

When your child is reading to you before jumping I and helping them (which is all too easy as I am guilty of this one) allow them the space to try themselves to break down the word and say it. Sometimes the best way to learn is through practicing yourself and getting familiar with words.

What things have you learned to help your child to read? Love to hear your thoughts in the comment section. 

Cheers for reading X

Cafe Rouge Groupon review.

Hey readers,

The other day I treated my husband to a meal out to Cafe Rouge in Coventry. If you haven't heard of Cafe Rouge it is a chain of French bistro and they have 70 restaurants in the UK. 

 

I also need to mention that I love a good old bargain so took the chance and brought a 3-course meal for two from Groupon for £23.00 which saved me 60% of my meal, yes, please! 

**Just to be clear this is not an AD, I just love a bargain and thought people might find this helpful.**

The menu includes:

Starters: French onion soup | garlic mushrooms | pea and mint tortelloni | breaded whitebait | breaded camembert.

Mains: poulet Breton | Moules marinière | steak and frites | duck confit | Leffe beer battered fish | summer salad with chicken | Croque Monsieur | pea and asparagus risotto | boeuf bourguignon | omelette | chargrilled chicken burger | black Angus burger.

Desserts: beignets | chocolate tarte | crème brûlée | tarte au citron | ice cream.

Also, note that you have a link after purchasing the coupon from Groupon that directs you to the Cafe Rouge website. It is important for you to book the table with a time that suits you.

Review of the restaurant. 

We arrived at Cafe Rouge at 12.30 on a Monday so luckily fairly quiet. We were quickly greeted by a member of staff who told us to chose any table we wanted, we went for the table near the window as we are nosey, like people watching hehe. 

We were asked for drinks - now here are the catch drinks aren't included. However, we ordered anyway as I was parched. Hubby ordered a flat white coffee and me a standard diet coke.

Hubby thought the coffee was really good quality and had lovely art decoration on top. 

Next, we ordered food and started with our start. I ordered garlic mushrooms on sour toast whilst my husband ordered breaded whitebait (which game with mayonnaise to dunk the fish in). 

 

We didn't have to wait for ages (though I don't mind as we didn't have kids so we could actually have an adult conversation).

The food tasted fresh and really good flavours.

The waitress cleared our plates and was super friendly and helpful. She then took got our next meal the main. 

I had a black Angus burger with fries whilst hubby had muscles and fries. Oh, my word people, myself and hubby assumed he would get a small dish of muscles however it was a massive dish of muscles (as you can tell from the photo below). 

 

Again, the food was fresh, though I didn't like the smokey flavour fo the burger, that is just my taste. One downfall with the fries is they did taste a bit undercooked for my liking as I like the centre of a chip soft fluffy. But can't really fault it because of the meal.

Soon the waitress took the plates away which we didn't have to ages like some places. We then asked for the dessert menu and I chose the chocolate tarte whilst husband picked the crème brûlée.

My chocolate tarte was beautiful, dark not too sweet and the cherry morello coulis really complimented the chocolate flavour. 

Husband really liked his crème brûlée though cold (but this might the norm in France) but he really enjoyed the taste and texture. He was a bit sad that it didn't crack when breaking the top.

The waitress got our receipt and we paid the extras for our meal. 

Overall, cant thought it and a fab deal via Groupon. Staff were friendly, polite and did a really good job of service. 

The place its self was clean, the staff kept on top of the tables so there weren't leftover plates from previous customers. The ambience was relaxed, the music was chilled and overall an excellent experience. 

Would I recommend getting a Groupon voucher? yes, I would but the only thing I would highlight is to make sure you clear in what you're getting and be mindful that drinks aren't included in the menu.

Cheers for reading X 

My Sunday photo 30/06/2019

Assortment

Hey readers, 

My word of the week is:

This week has been very much a mixed bag of emotions. I have had some good and some hard times. I treated my hubby to a meal at Cafe Rouge on Monday whilst the kids were at school. Which was lovely, as it was more relaxed and we could actually talk. 

My eldest this week moved up to stage 7 which I am really proud because some of the stuff with coordination is really difficult.  

Both my boys did really well on Friday with sports day and my youngest got first in the 20m and my eldest got second in the xxx metres. 

I have been struggling with my obsessive thoughts which have caused me to have quite a bad meltdown. I really struggle with the social aspects of things, I just remind me of childhood and I guess also upsets me.

I won't leave this post on a negative point because I feel guilty for sharing my thoughts. So, at the weekend the sun was out and we had a lovely picnic in the park and the boys loved having a runaround. 

Hope you have had a good week. 

Cheers for reading X 

How not to lose your sh*t during Summer holidays

Hey readers,

It soon fast approaching the summer holidays where my boys have no school for SIX WEEKS, eek! Now, as much as I love spending quality time with my boys it can be hard work and be exhausting to keep them entertained and deal with the bickering/ boredom that occurs when during this period.

So how do you manage to keep your cool and not lose it?

Well, I  think one technique for me is to walk away and have my time out in the bedroom. I need quiet time as an introvert and space are important to me. Luckily I have a supportive husband who takes care of the little darlings and vice versa as well. I think you can feel guilty for not permanently wanting to look after your children yourself but I have learned that it is much more important to have time out away from the carnage. 

It makes the family home a much calmer environment.

I feel getting outside can help, breathing in the fresh air especially if you are like me and not in a position to have a garden. I take my boys out locally and get them to scoot about. This helps burn some energy and it is fairly simple to do. 

Alternatively, hitting the park for a picnic is a great way to have a day out and enjoy the outdoors.

On the other hand, it is ok to have chilled times at home and whack the babysitter tv on. I have a motto you do what you can in a situation and sometimes we all need to just relax in front of the old familiar place. Previously, I used to feel so guilty about putting the TV on but not anymore, I am thankful for it.

 It has saved my sanity and it is good to relax and not do a lot. That is what a holiday is for right? It is also ok not to be busy 24/7 as much as Instagram would like to tell us. It is much better to be relaxed and just enjoy the time, it is ok to simply do nothing. It is ok to allow your child to rest, remember they have worked hard all year at school, it is time for a break.

Don't always try to find things for your kids when you are bored. I know for a long time I felt I had to instantly deal with the dreaded statement, "I am bored" but do you know what it is good for kids to get bored. This time when your children are under-stimulated is a life lesson on trying to find ways to deal with the problems and enhance their creative skills.

It is ok for parents to let their hair down when children are around. I know shocking right but is not healthy constantly having to deal with the requests of the children. Sometimes you have to give your children that independence to learn to make decisions about their problems.

Cheers for reading X

Why it is good to date in your 40's and 50's. **AD**

Hey readers,

Being in your 40's can be an exciting time especially when you are participating in the dating game. Why you ask?... well let me tell you why. 

First off dating an older person in their 40's or 50's is a much more mature event compared to say a person dating in their 20's. This is because they have a lived a bit more and have a more mature outlook on life. The chances are they are more experienced and can treat you better.

As your older, you have achieved things that you don't have to worry about when you are older so less pressure such as having children. 

The likelihood is the individual will have older children, therefore, won't have to worry about childcare etc.

 So, there is not that pressure to get married or have children, therefore, dating when you are older is a much more relaxed affair. 

With age comes more awareness of who you are and gives you the confidence to be the person you want to be.

 You know what you want when it comes to doing dating and you know the kind of person you want to take on a date. An older person is more reliable in what you say because you have that confidence in themselves which again is something that is developed with age. 

Some people assume that older people give up once they reach an older age but that is not the case as websites based on over 40 dating

sites out there on the internet. Therefore this clearly demonstrates that there is a market for the older individual looking to date. 

The times have changed in this modern world where it was once deemed standard to date, settle down and have children in your 20's and that was for life then.
 Not any more as there is a lot of people aged 40's -50's who are wanted to date similar people like themselves. There are mnay reasons why people are separated in there 40s and 50s and they want a second go at the dating game and why not I say, life is about having fun after all. 

With age comes experience and that means that the individuals dating at an older age have already made mistakes and learnt from them. Plus with all trial and error situations, you learn what is right and what is not right for you so then again comes confidence in what you are doing. There is nothing more attractive than meeting someone who is confident and a person that you can rely on.

Dating when you are older could mean that you have the financial freedom to enjoy going out to restaurants and getaways. This, therefore, allows you that change to have a good time without worrying about how you are going to pay for it. 

I think the best tip for when you start dating is to smile, look interested and ask lots of questions. This gives the other person a sense that you like them and are interested in what they have to say. 

If you're in your 40's or 50's then a website to check out would be older-dating.com
where you can meet like-minded individuals like yourself. 

Cheers for reading X 

This is a sponsored post for Older-Dating.com. All opinions expressed are entirely my own. 

I hate camping

Hey readers,

As the title of this blog post suggests I HATE CAMPING! I had the recent experience of camping again and finally, that will be the last ever camp again. I detest it for so many reasons but one it takes so long to put up the tent, We had an 8 person tent so took roughly 2-3 hours and with young children around that is not what I deem as fun.

Even before setting up a camp it is bloody hard work with spending a ton on all the things you need like bottles of gas, food and all the other equipment. Then you have to try and squeeze it all in your blinking car.

Getting back to the tend its self there is the fact you don't get a good night sleep. You end up having your children with you. They constantly moving about and if that weren't bad enough they stick their feet in your face.

Then there is the sleeping bag and literally, have to sip up and jump up and down to get in a comfy position. If that is not bad late at night you have to decide do you want to get out of your warm cocoon or do you want a wee. 

The choices are hard! if you do opt for the toilet you then decide is it worth walking up half a mile to the communal toilets or shall I take a leak next to the tent in the freezing cold. 

The latter brings the risk of the change of someone seeing your bare ass. Finally, after you have dealt with that trauma you have to zip back up again and jump up and down. Changes are you wake up your little darlings doing this and then guess what they need a pee. *sigh*.

Another point regarding the sleeping situation is the fact that the ground is bumpy and you feel dirty all the time.  It doesn't matter if you have used a shower, you never clean and you walk back from the nice warm water to a dirty and muddy tent.

The next morning you wake at the crack of Dawn because the light brightens up all the room and the little darlings think it is fun to jump around the tent. Whilst this is all happening you are cursing and getting more and more homesick and you don't even care about the prospect of washing at this point.

Especially in the summer if you dare leave the tend door unzipped then you risk a gang of flies to enter. You are constantly bitten by all the bugs and it leaves you with months of marks all on your leg. I still have them marks after a year of previous camping have and it resembles someone who is a crackhead.

After two days of staying in a tend you have grass everywhere and appears in your food somehow. My god the food taste rank and it such a ball ache to still on the ground and fiddle about preparing food on a camping stove. It is lukewarm and depressing especially when it is p*ssing it down.

As time progresses you sleep deteriorates as so does your mood and you finally glad when the day comes when it is time to go home. 

Only to be greeted with the perspective of trying to put down the tent and making sure it all fits tightly together in its holders. Which incidentally never does on the first go, try the fifth in which your hot mess and in a bad mood. But that is fine because you then can rest on the drive home with two tired and ratty children.

But the time we eventually come when you get home and you have the pleasure of dealing with the endless pile of stinky, muddy washing.

Everything with tending just feels like a chore. It doesn't feel like a holiday and yes you save money but personally, I would prefer to be in bed at home in the warmth eating hot food.

Cheers for reading X

My Sunday photo 23/06/2019

Free Beauty Samples Are Perfect For The Holidays! **AD**

Freebie fans all know that receiving freebies is great regardless of what time of the year it is, but over summer these beauty freebies will become even more useful.

Even the smallest of the free samples are handy to take on a holiday. Here are a few reasons why:

1. Free Samples save Weight and Space in Your Suitcase

The perfume samples are probably the most useful to take on a holiday as they are lightweight and compact. Taking your favourite perfumes on a flight is risky as the bottle could accidentally break while in transit or go off due to the altitude or high heat. In addition, this is the perfect time for you to experiment with new fragrances. The alluring perfume adverts always advertise that their fragrances are either suitable for “day” wear or “night” wear, but to be honest not all of us are able to afford to have specific fragrances to match up to specific times in a day.

Taking perfume samples with you is a convenient way to make sure you smell great throughout your holiday. In fact, the postcard version is just about weightless and the foil helps to ensure the freshness of the fragrance. They are also small enough to store in your hand luggage or handbag for easy top-ups. This makes these free samples the perfect solution to save more space so you can take along more of your favourite holiday outfits.

2. Free Samples Can Help You to Avoid Baggage Charges

Taking along every full-size beauty product on your holiday will take up space that is valuable in your luggage. Replacing the regular sized products with samples could even mean you only need to take hand-luggage. When you travel light you won't have to pay for baggage fees, which is a definite win-win situation.

Keep in mind that many of the skincare freebie samples come in the 30ml travel-sizes or sachets, which meets up to the “100ml or less” rule when it comes to liquids. These samples are also easy to store in a small plastic bag which means you won't have to worry about decanting your beauty and skincare essentials into the travel size bottles, saving you both money and time.

3. Freebies Will Save You Money on Miniatures

It is really ridiculous how many of the well-known beauty brands charge such a high price tag to put their products into miniature bottles. Clever advertising and marketing may trick you into thinking you are saving money and traveling lighter, yet these cute miniatures which are found at most of the beauty counters are made to catch shoppers out when they are in hurry to finish those last-minute purchases for their holiday.

If your freebies include many sachets of the same product you may want to think about pouring them out into a mini jar. You can turn all those samples into a single neat freebie.

Top Hint: Hold onto those “7-day supply” skincare freebies. These are perfect when it comes to knowing how long the freebie is going to last while you are away.

4. They Will Keep Your Beach and Make-Up Bag Light

You may have never thought about claiming those foundation freebie samples, yet they are really handy for holidays. When you are packing a make-up bag for your holiday, a 1-week supply can free up tons of space so you can take with other products to make your holiday even more special such as lip glosses, and bronzers.

When you are on holiday, you will probably need to pack other skincare essentials such as after-sun. This could mean lugging around a lot more bottles, but free samples can really help with this. For example, not long ago I received a few free E45 skincare samples, which helped to keep my bag for the beach a lot lighter.

5. Safeguard Your Favourite Beauty Products

There is not much worse or heart-breaking than taking all your best beauty products on a trip abroad and they end up lost, spoilt or broken while you are away. The heat is known for spoiling perfumes, melting products or even separating liquid-based make-up. For this reason, it is always a better idea to leave anything expensive or valuable at home.

Free samples will often come in a tube or sachets which are made for travelling. You can also discard them before you come home, which frees up more space in your suitcase for gifts.

So before you rush into using your freebies or even throwing them away, keep in mind how handy these samples can be for your next holiday.

**This is an AD for wowfreestuff.**

Challenging

Hey readers,

My word of the week is:

because this week has been challenging with my eldest as he has been really aggressive. Found out he has been bullied because he has long hair (his choice). But we all know how cruel kids can be about the slightest difference. So, that is one trigger and having change effects my eldest now a lot. We had visits round which takes it out on him especially with the change of routine. 

In other news, we have an appointment for the 3rd to see the psychologist who has been doing some observations so find out if my son can get an assessment for autism. I hope so because we have spent the last 3 years trying to fight for one. He is slowly starting to display characteristics, so only time will tell what will happen with that. 

We went to Legoland on Wednesday as it was a teachers training day so grabbed the opportunity to go when it is quiet, which it was and so much better for both me and my son. 

My youngest has made great improvements to his swimming and he should be moving up a level. On Friday it will be his first sports day. He will be so happy to participate as the last two years he has watched his brother from afar. 

So, yeah overall mixed bag of affairs as life normally is. 

Hope you have a good week. 

Cheers for reading X