My Real Fairy – Lifestyle blog….. Tales of our family…Book & product reviews, competitions and giveaways, poems, arts & crafts and hints & tips. A bit of everything!
Don’t you just love a party? Living life just like a princess can be made all the more real with my Princess Party Pack giveaway this week.
To set the princess party theme from the very start we have the You’re Invited invitation cards.
Cake decoration princess rings will twinkle on the birthday cake then a big slice can be given to everyone in their very own Princess Her Highness goodie bag.
Next up in this regal pack is the Thank You cards to show her perfect princess manners off to the full.
This gorgeous Olaf Itty Bitty is the perfect pressie for little ones. The collection is made up of a whole host of well known and adorable characters, from the Frozen favourites; Elsa, Anna, Olaf and Sven to Captain Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Caribbean. The cute toys are so soft and snuggly that it’s hard to give them away as presents.
I was lucky enough to work with Hallmark recently and I have this Olaf Itty Bitty to giveaway to one lucky ready. Just enter in the rafflecopter giveaway below.
Homework, creative play, jotters, notes stuck on the wall are all on the go in our house. My eldest is now self sufficient and takes his whiteboard where he needs to be.
It’s a busy Thursday afternoon in our house and we have just all bounded in through the front door almost rolling in the cascade of shoes, blazers and bags as the boys start shedding their school skin and morphing into home boys. At 9 and 12 they have gone past the novelty of school and are now firmly planted into the routine. They love being on the go and all the joys that school brings aswell as the woes of coming to grips with the understanding that algebra may seem like a waste of time to a young lad. Fast forward to a time when he has to fill his car up with petrol, has £20 and has to work out how many litres he can afford if each litre is a certain price, then he might just see the ‘point’ of it all.
So with homework to add to the daily learning schedule, drinks and snacks are procured, the first pangs of hunger dealt with then our homework time can begin!
I have been sent a whiteboard to try out and very excited about. We have an A3 Folding Wedge Landscape which as you can see from the photos is a great size, has a carry handle on top and looks very sleek. It feels robust enough to tackle being carried around and assembled in an array of places which will surely happen.
Now that my eldest is in senior year his homework has really increased and needs far more planning and thought behind it.
As far as the geography project goes, it has to be done! One of the things I was pleased about was that my eldest was suitably impressed with how it looked. In the days of image being very important, to get a big tick and dare I say it a grin from my growing lad, were signs we were off to a great start.
The board is perfect for standing on the table as you can see and working with it on either end will give you the views you need depending on the project.
Use a drywipe eraser to clean off the writing and start again. This can be done really simply and within seconds the board is ready to use again. Even with the bright orange we used, it didn’t stain or leave the shadow of the words, it was bright white once again.
As the board is designed to make use of both sides, one side was used for written planning and one side was used for the layout of the design.
I love the use of all sorts of learning aids and devices to enhance the experience for my kids. This board helped with the visual display of bringing together what was in his head.
My youngest didn’t want to be left out of trying our new board and as soon as his big brother had finished his homework he folded it down and carried it up to his room where he settled into his bean bag for some relaxation time. He loved the easy flow the board created for his drawing skills to flood out without worrying about mistakes or scrabbling around for scrap paper. This was one of the quietest after school times I’d had in a while and it was great to see the boys so engrossed in what they were doing.
Not one to be left out of the fun!
Conclusions:
For us this is something that is not just limited to homework. As a company director I have so many uses for this board and I will be sneaking this away to use on many occasions. Travelling is a big part of what I do and gone are the days when people want to be encumbered by large items to battle out of the car. This board can be used to illustrate the steps my team decide upon to take projects forward and are great for recording those idea provoking discussions. The fact that I can carry it next to my computer case with ease is a huge buying point for me.
It is fun, it looks good and it has a use! So many gadgets get forgotten, this one won’t.
Have you got whiteboards at home. How do you think you would use them within your environment? Let me know in the comments below, it’s good to share.
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Disclaimer: I was gifted a whiteboard for the purpose of this review. All thoughts and opinions included in the post are my own.
Offering hints and tips for the best beauty routines, from just wanting a dab of moisturiser to the brightest of blushers, there is a bit of everything to enjoy.
I had a fantastic evening out recently with the Bournemouth Bloggers where we were invited to an exclusive evening with The Body Shop in Bournemouth to take a look at their full range of products.
It started off with a glass of bubbly as we walked in the door which is the best sort of hello I could of hoped for after a long day. I wasn’t driving and was child free for the next couple of hours and I was perfectly ready to melt into the world of pamper products and learn more about the body shops international work promoting and campaigning for cruelty free cosmetics.
With the help of Hannah, Alice and Scarlett we were given an overview of the products in general and how they were going to help us on the night. We were then free to hone in on the specific products that we wanted to know more about.
As many of you know I’m getting married next year and one of the things that I need is the perfect lipstick. As I rarely wear it I am totally out of my comfort zone about where to even start. If you scrabble around in my make-up bag then the ones you do find are normally a nude colour or a clear lipgloss for the evening…not very daring.
I want to shine for my wedding and am looking forward to pushing my own boundaries and having the perfect pout. The lipstick range that I went for under guidance from my body shop pro was the Colour Crush™ Lipsticks. I was amazed that my make up stylist went straight for 2 colours that were bold and very rich, normally the opposite end of the line when I would be looking at colours. However, it just shows you the power of letting the professionals look after you as when I saw the effect I was thrilled!
The name of this little beauty is Sardinia Hibiscusis. It is enriched with Community Trade marula oil so I won’t get that dried out feeling that can be present with some lipsticks. A bonus feature is that it comes with its own little mini pot on the end when you don’t want to take the whole one with you. Ideal also if you want to lend to a friend but just can’t part with your favourite lippy, genius!
I had a demonstration of the All-In-One BB cream which adapts to your skin tone. It’s light which is what I need for a natural look. Having an even skin tone will help perk me up on the colder autumn mornings.
8 million signatures reached!
The Body Shop was founded by Anita Roddick in 1976 when she opened her first shop in Brighton. I remember always growing up with the Body Shop as the main force in promoting and raising awareness of cruelty free cosmetics. This cause has grown and grown over the years and The Body Shop have become leaders in fronting campaigns to make a difference.
Their latest campaign #ForeverAgainstAnimalTesting is to end animal testing in cosmetics forever. They have reached the 8 million signatures needed and have made a video here to explain how they are now on their way to the United Nations.
“If you think you’re too small to have an impact, try going to bed with a mosquito.”
Anita Roddick
The Bournemouth shop is also available to follow over on instagram and will keep you updated with all you need for those beach side tips.
I was keen to have a look for products for my OH because he uses absolutely nothing on his face or beard. All these years of buying him beautiful smellies at Christmas and birthdays have gone to waste. I think that he could open his own shop with the amount he has stashed away.
I think that I have now cracked it with these two products in the mens section. The Guarana and Coffee Energising Cleanser is enriched with organic community trade aloe vera and is 100% vegan. It smells delicious with coffee undertones, just what you need to kickstart your mornings.
Conditioning Beard Oil for my OH
The Cedar & Sage beard oil will be a treat for his beard that I think will make him see what he’s been missing. It will moisturise the skin underneath his beard and give his stunning stubble a shine and subtle scent.
Lucky me…a goodie bag to go!
I was treated to a gorgeous goody bag when I left which was a really kind gesture, filled with lots of gifts for me to try out which I will let you know more about soon! Thoroughly enjoyable evening and right on time with stocking up on ideas just before christmas and getting ready for the wedding.
Have you been into the Body Shop recently? What are your favourite products?
I’ve got a fantastic giveaway for you today with this Best Friends Forever Notebook.
With summer starting to fade its glorious sunlight into the dusk of autumn it is time to start thinking about Christmas. It’s hard to believe but it will be on us before we know it. This could be just the thing for school aged children to love and cherish.
This Best Friends Forever Notebook sets down lasting memories of childhood friends.
With pages to write contact details, to have photos and to pop little messages that are recorded forever, it’s ideal to take to school during the last week of term.
So, all you have to do to win this notebook is to enter using the rafflecopter entry below. Good luck and forget to come back each day for a bonus entry tweet!
Social Soiree Pack of 12 Blank Notelets & Envelopes for Invitations & Thank You Cards
As they say, you’ve got to be in it to win it! Throughout the summer I will be putting on as many giveaways as I can. Laced in between my family, recipe and guest posts I hope that you have everything you need here to spend a little time and see what’s on offer.
I love my blog and being able to talk about so many different subjects in my own space is massively rewarding. I hope you have fun here and are enjoying the summer too. Drop me a line in the comments section and let me know what you are up to.
Have fun!
Mainy
Giveaway Special – Enter in the rafflecopter box below
Timing is key to most things and considering my laptop bag was falling apart at the seams the time was right now to look for a new one. My computer travels more miles than I can imagine. It comes to work every day, it will accompany me on business trips and it travels in continuous circles around my own house, from room to room, up and down the stairs being the faithful servant it is.
So, news flash! I have a new bag! Boy am I pleased with it, I’ve got that office chic feeling again. It’s great what a new bag will do for me.
Today I am not only telling you about this great bag from Estarer but I also have a Giveaway too! You can get your hands on a bag just like this by entering at the end of this post. First though let me tell you a bit more.
I have chosen the brown the version and it also comes in a plum colour. The bag is large and has space for just about everything. If you are a multi tasker then this will be just right. There’s even space for the odd nappy and baby wipe.
Front of the bag next to my trusty laptop
I like the short straps as I often get shoulder ache when I have a shoulder strap so this suits me a bit better. However for those of you who like the shoulder strap then there is one included.
Attention to detail is really evident
The front on the bag has zips and compartments with easy access. If you use a note book jotter for those instant ideas such as blog post ideas or extra items for the never ending to do list then the jotter will be easily within reach using one of these outside pockets.
The bag is large enough for a 15 inch laptop and will also accommodate A4 folders alongside it.
Product Dimensions: 30 x 9 x 40 cm
Weight: 980 g
Back view of the laptop bag
Overall view of the bag is that it is a good size for me, I will have to be careful not to overfill it or I will struggle with the weight. It is stylish and stands out from the normal run of the mill cases which I have looked at previously.
Fathers Day is just round the corner and it’s time to get those thinking caps on again for some of those great pressies which are out there. I’ve got some ideas that can give you a nudge in the right direction.
We all have different living arrangements and fathers, mothers and grandparents day can be a tricky one to navigate if you don’t necessarily fit into those brackets. Celebrating our own uniqueness with love and acceptance is a good way to go. On any given day you can show and help our little ones to demonstrate the love to those who help to bring them up.
Personalized Cart.com is one of those sites that is full with unusual gifts that you don’t see everywhere. I spent a long time browsing through so many ideas. I decided on the watch case as one of my favourites. There are lots of different sizes and styles. One of the bigger ones is a wonderfully large with dimensions of: 12.6″x 10.2″ x 6.3″(32cmX26cmX16cm) so as you can see, it’s a good size, plenty big enough to store away those more valuable items.
Pretty Gifted provides that final flourish that makes your gift look like a million dollars!
It’s a 6 step easy process to make your bespoke paper. Pick a paper, pick a font, pick a foil, write your message, pick a font size and pick an icon. You are guided through the steps and it really is very straight forward. I enjoyed it!
You can either wrap your pressies in it or I think that designing the paper and giving it as a present itself is a great idea. I chose to make some paper with the boys for their dad. His favourite colour is orange so I was pleased to see a bright orange design and then see the writing really pop out. My OH never does things by half so we knew that he would love these bright colours.
Adding a special something to your Father’s Day gifts can also come as a low cost or no cost price tag. Crafting your labels and cards will also go a long way to bringing the grin to dads face.
We love vouchers and you can easily make ‘dads vouchers’ with the kids which can be used at anytime by the big man. You can use slogans such as “Dad gets a lie in” One free hug” or for the older kids; “One car wash” or “5 cups of tea”. Have fun with what dad enjoys the most and get crafting.
What are you going to get up to and what ideas do you have?
This week has seen me taking a look at some lovely new products from Natralus. The sun has shone for a few days so as soon as I see this glimmer I always get into the flip flops and don’t take them off until September! Living so near to the sea is such a blessing, it means that when I’ve finished work and picked the kids up it’s easy to just drive and within 10 minutes we are on the beach and I’m watching them play football while I feel the sand between my toes.
Whether it’s because of all the time I spend in flip flops and walking around in the sea air, or *coughs* getting a bit older, I feel I need to keep my face, feet and hands moisturised. So I jumped at the chance to have a look these little gems.
Natralus is an Australian owned family business, located in South Australia. Using natural and organic ingredients to create their products it’s a great way to have peace of mind that they have you covered in the area of keeping it as natural as possible.
Back when I was at school I have always used some form of lip soothe or butter on my lips. As an adult I don’t tend to wear lipstick but rely instead on lip nourisher, even the really good quality lipsticks don’t seem quite right and dry my lips out, I’m yet to find one that doesn’t. The Paw Paw lip butter is one of those that you have to resist the temptation to taste as it smells so good! It has 51mg per gram of organic Australian Paw paw in each tube and is enriched with Shea Butter and Vitamin E. You then get to choose from 4 flavours; Strawberry, Cocoa Butter, Coconut or Honey and Vanilla.
The intensive skin therapy is one of those creams that is nice and creamy yet it rubs into the skin without leaving a greasy overtone.
I love a cuppa, last thing at night and first thing in the morning you will find me with a cup of tea somewhere close by. Over the years I have tried many different brands and had phases of drinking different types of tea. As part of my own growth in how I enjoy different foods and wine, they too have matured. There’s much more importance to me in how something tastes, what benefits it might have for me and where it has come from. No longer just a drink to have for the sake of it.
Adagio teas have a great take on how to order your tea to be delivered to your home. Their site is divided into sections which help you to make your choice simple. There are sampler packs which you can order that give you a range across the type of tea you wish to try. Loose tea is spooned into the paper filters made of taste-neutral wood and hemp fibres. You make your own little… or big tea bag, how cool is that! I liked this as even though you get the suggested amount to put in you can adjust to your own taste.
Apparently tea is the most widely consumed drink second only to water. I can’t think of anything that is so versatile and has so many different flavours.
You can learn so much for the website such as how to make the perfect cuppa! That’s got to be high on my list of things to do. Like most things having a really good idea of how where why and how makes us all that little bit wiser.
Tea processing is five basic steps; some teas don’t utilize all of these steps, while other teas repeat them several times. Basic processing is Plucking, Withering (allowing the leaves to wilt and soften), Rolling (to shape the leaves and wring out the juices), Oxidising and Firing (ie: Drying).
I have been looking for warm drinks which my eldest son can have which don’t contain caffeine. There is lots of information on their blog which looks and explains caffeine in tea. My eldests health condition means that he has to have a chocolate, caffeine and yoghurt free diet as much as possible. A tough thing for someone reaching their teenage years. He wants to try so many new things and having a healthy warm drink after sports or a long walk are something he enjoys.
All real tea comes from the same plant, Camellia sinensis, which contains caffeine. Herbal infusions, such as Chamomile, Rooibos and Peppermint, are made from botanicals not related to Camellia sinensis, and they are naturally caffeine free. Adagio has a decaf range and a herbal range so there is a massive choice for us as a family and I can have one place to order from which is a plus point for me.
In addition to the teas you can also buy accessories such as cups, teapots, storage tins and filters.
The Giveaway
I have a great prize today which will be despatched by the fine people at Adagio Teas. It consists of 3 Sampler Packs of your choice and 1 Pack of Tea Filters so that you can start your new tea journey straight away!
Disclaimer: I was given a selection of teas and teaware to review for the purpose of the post. All thoughts and opinions are my own. See my Contact Us page for full t&c’s for giveaways.
