Fathers Day Gift Guide 2018

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?

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Free Pallet Patio Garden

Easy Step by Step Guide

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Fancy growing your own fruit and veg? I thought the same and am now managing just that! Here’s how to build your own free pallet patio garden.

Last year I had a new patio and it’s a great area to sit out in as it captures a lot of sun. The boys use our garden to play football and I learnt the hard way that football and plant borders don’t mix well! I actually get upset when I see the ball thud into the plants and race over to see whats happened. The boys then scurry away waiting to see if yet another tomato plant has bitten the dust.

So when the patio was laid I started thinking of ways that I could enjoy growing some fruit and vegetables on the patio.

I wanted a way to use recycled products and make something that really made the most of the small compact space we had.

Here’s a step by step guide to how I made this brilliant pallet patio garden out of mainly recycled bits and bobs, for free!

Free Pallet Patio Garden — Our blank canvas!

We put a base down so that the structure wouldnt sit directly on the slabs and cause too much discolouration.

Here is my other half fixing a free pallet that we picked up onto the back of the crate used to deliver the patio slabs in. If you can get hold of more pallets then use them to make a crate. You can find them on free sites or even in skips.

We had some weed suppressor mat in the shed and if you havent got anything like that hanging around then they are easy to pick up very cheaply. I just wanted something lining the inside that would help with keeping the pots contained and not having the water running straight out onto the ground.

The you are all ready to go and start putting in the pots that you wish to have there. What I found useful was that on the sunny days I can move the pots onto the top of the back pallet and they can make use of the sunshine. When it’s a windy day they can nestle back into the base and be a bit more protected.

You can see by these photos how the plants are coming along. The potatoes are growing well and the carrots on the right hand side in the base are showing nicely. I’ve planted onions next to them as apparently they fend off one of the mites that would eat the carrot tops.

Come back soon for an update and more than likely a recipe made out of some of the home grown veg. It will be great to see you again.

Have you got any tips on growing veg in small spaces? You might be a seasoned pro or just starting out. I’d love to hear.

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First written by me in the summer of 2017 and as I’ve started putting my new seedlings in it again this year I just had to share it with you again.

Creative Ideas and Safety for Kids’ Room Makeover

Creative ideas and safety for kids’ room makeover

Decorating a child’s playroom can be demanding. You obviously want a design that will look new for long and something that you want to see in your child’s room every day. If you have enough space, it is important to give your kids their space where they can keep toys as well as a safe place to play. Many kids love to have a space of their own next to their sleeping rooms. There are several ways to renovate a kid’s room

Consider safety first.

During kid room makeovers, consider their safety first. It does not matter the age of your baby, give the safety of your child a priority. Check these tips to ensure the child is safe:

Little kids are at risk of carbon monoxide. Ensure to install a detector for carbon monoxide.
Use low VOC paints as well as other healthy construction materials when doing a remodel.
Enable parental controls for the teen room if you want to include internet and television. This is so that you are aware and in control of what they watch.
The furniture for kids’ room needs to be off over the knee. Ensure that dressers and cabinets are secured to the wall.

Choose bright colors

Children respond or react to bright colors and outsized outlines. Several contemporary color palettes can work well in kids’ room work and still work for adults that they don’t feel as if they spending time in the children room.

Update storage area

Kids love playing around. To ensure their room is neat all the time, ensure to update their play area for different activities. If they have toys and balls in the room ensure there is a place to store every one of them with labels. You might add open shelves that have baskets or bins if they were not there before to enable them to keep their things. As a result, this will be easy for them to access their belongings. It will also enable them to know where to put their playthings or items once they finish playing.

Makeover the creative corner

If the kids’ room did not have a show corner, ensure to put up. It does not take that much space. Get them some costumes that will match the respective activities the get involved in. If the kids love drawing, ensure they have all the drawing tools. Add a curtain a chalkboard wall and make the room unique. Provide the kids with colorful chalks that they can use for their creativity on the chalkboard.

Add furniture

Include furniture with attractive colors or theme to their homework area. If your kids are tutored at home, ensure to find chairs that can be comfortable for them during their tuition.

During kids’ room makeover, it is crucial to keep the safety of your child in mind. Include things that were not there before but you think will be essential for the kids to have in the room. Nurture your child’s talent by providing her with all the tools he needs for his creative tasks.

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Naipo Heated Seat Cover Review and Discount

Hello everyone! How have you been finding these cold days? We found it so exciting to get the snow in our neck of the woods when we haven’t had any for so long. It was only last week that my boys were saying to me “mummy when are we going to get snow we haven’t had it since 2012!” I can’t actually remember if it was 2012 but they were pretty adamant so I went with it.

With the schools being closed we found that we had a couple of snowy home days on our hands so we set out each morning and had a really good fun with it. As I haven’t actually believe that the snow would come I hadn’t bought sledges like I saw some of the children have so instead the boys went down the long sloping path leading down to the river on our old plastic food trays. They worked a treat until the constant battering got a little bit too much for them and then they broke into pieces! It was all good fun while it lasted. Suffice to say when we got back home we were all freezing cold and needed to warm up with lots of hot chocolate with marshmallows which added to the excitement.

In our household we have two cars, one – mine – *smiles* is the all singing all dancing heated seats, electric windows and almost drives itself to be honest. My other half’s car is probably the polar opposite, however, it is an amazing family car and we love it to bits.

I fancied treating my other half to something nice for his car and this is where the product that I’m going to show you today comes in so handy. This seat pad from Naipo is heated and cooling! Yes you heard right it heats or cools your seat and you can just pop it on either the passenger seat or the driver seat of your car really easily.

For those freezing cold mornings similar to what we just had imagine getting in your chilly car pressing the button and suddenly feel the warmth spread through your seat. Not only that but the seat looks really stylish as well when it’s in your car it gives it a sort of car makeover.

Naipo Heated Seat Cover Review and Discount — Universal fitting makes it super easy

For the really hot days in the summer and yes we are going to get some hot days even here in the UK, just have a little faith and cross your fingers of course, then the cooling fan function of the seat is perfect to offer much-needed relief particularly if you’re stuck in the car without any air-conditioning.

So I’ve talked about using the seat pad in the car which is probably where we would be using it, you can also use it on seats in the home. If you’ve got a cold home office or chilly kitchen seat then this could be the answer you have been looking for.

I have a great money off code for you to use today, a whopping £10.00 off the price of this seat is available. Enter the Coupon code:7TWN2OUL at the checkout.

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Easy Bake Chocolate Florentines

These Easy Bake Chocolate Florentines biscuits are so delicious that I actually made two batches before I managed to get the pictures of the finished article because I forgot on the first night and by the next day they were nearly all gone!

If you have not had a Florentine before, then they are thin biscuits made with nuts and cherries and normally coated with chocolate on the flat underneath side. They are slightly crisp on the edges and then a fabulous chewy centre awaits!

I now coat half of the batch with chocolate and I leave half uncoated and I kid you not, they are both gorgeous.

The full recipe and directions are below and some handy photos here to reassure you of what it should look like at each stage.

Easy Bake Chocolate Florentines — The mixture as it should look just before baking.

It is best to temper the chocolate and I have written a quick reference post on how to do this the easy way if you are a home cook like me.

5 from 1 vote

Easy Bake Chocolate Florentines

Prep Time

5 mins

Cook Time

15 mins

Total Time

20 mins

These super elegant Florentines are a perfect easy bake which produce the most delicious crispy, chewy, mouth-watering biscuits.

Course: Sweet Treat

Servings: 24

Author: mainy - myrealfairy

Ingredients

50 g Butter
50 g Demerara sugar
50 g Golden syrup
50 g Plain flour
50 g Flaked almonds
25 g Glacé cherries
200 g Dark chocolate

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4.
Prepare your baking trays with parchment paper/grease proof paper for baking
Add the butter, sugar and the golden syrup to a small saucepan and heat gently until the butter has melted.
When this has melted down, remove from the heat and add the flour, glacé cherries and flaked almonds.
Mix well with a large wooden spoon.
Using a teaspoon, put one level teaspoon onto the baking tray and space 6 spoonfuls evenly over the baking tray. Space well as the mixture spreads during baking.
Bake for between 8 and 10 minutes, or until golden-brown. Let them cool on the baking trays before transferring to a cooling rack to cool down completely.
Melt the chocolate and temper using the method from my link. On the flat side of the florentine, spread a little melted chocolate until it is evenly covered. Wait 30 seconds and using a fork or the tip of the teaspoon, create a zig zag engraved effect in the chocolate.

Recipe Notes

Only use a teaspoon per biscuit as they spread more than you think!

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How to Temper Chocolate the Easy Way

When I made my first recipe which needed me to temper the chocolate I was quite intimidated by the process and didn’t go too much further. Suffice to say that I had alot of split, grainy chocolate melting disasters!

So after doing some further research and trialing easy tempering methods I want to share the method that I use all the time now, with you.

Tempered chocolate has a glossy appearance to it and will have that snap to it that sounds just right. there is a science behind tempering chocolate which involves heating to the right temperature so that when the chocolate is heated and the fat molecules go out of alignment they need to be realigned correctly or the chocolate will ‘bloom’. This is when the chocolate looks grey and grainy and not as appealing as the glossy look we should go for. I’m sure there has been a time when you have left a chocolate bar in the car and it’s got warm and melted. The texture it then goes when it firms up is never quite the same is it? That’s because it has gone out of temper.

I use the method of heating in a heatproof dish over a pan of simmering water. I tried the microwave methods but I didn’t get on with it and prefer having more control by using the pan method.

Make sure the bowl can sit in the pan without touching the water. Also, the bowl must be kept very dry and not let any water inside.

Tempering Method

From a large bar of dark chocolate with a cocoa content of between 50-70%, break off three quarters of the bar and chop into small chunks.

Place these in the bowl and over the pan of simmering water.

Over the next 1-2 minutes these will melt.

When they have melted, take the bowl off the heat and stir quickly.

Put in the remaining chocolate.

Stir in continuously until it is all melted.

That’s it, you are now ready to dip or spread your chocolate onto your tasty treats.

If you love chocolate recipes as much as I think you probably do then have a look at my Ultimate Chocolate Brownie Recipe and my Chocolate Vegan Cake.

Enjoy and let me know what you think! I’d love to hear your ideas too.

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4Play Pleasure Box Review & Giveaway

Are you ready for date night? Well I can help you to be super ready to enjoy some quality romantic time with that special someone. This post is for adults only so if you are reading with little ones around then to spare any blushes don’t read aloud!:)

When the 5o shades books came on the scene a few years ago I remember thinking that it was one of those times which changes the way that women view some of the more kinky and playful sides of a relationship. Talking about this with my girlfriends I knew that it was refreshing to discuss this side of what happened in the bedroom more openly.

The 4Play pleasure box is an intimate handpicked selection of fun sexual accessories to add that bit of fun into your relationship and enhance what you already have.

The brainchild of Sam and Ali, two mums and entrepreneurs who identified a gap in the market for a fun and empowering box of playful accessories that allow partners to reconnect with each other through foreplay.

Their first box is aimed at being sensual and romantic, even for those that have never dabbled into the exciting world of playtime before. After spending lots of time together shopping and exploring different products for the box, Sam and Ali decided to stick with items that every couple could enjoy today.

Lets see what the box contains:-

Black Satin Blindfold
Vibrating Cock Ring
Black Feather Tickler
Sex Gaming Dice
Edible Fruity Lubricant
Blow Job Mints
2 x Condoms

The box comes with a cute little ‘How 2play’ booklet which explains each item in more detail.

What did I love about it; well, it came in a pretty but discrete package which is good, no worries there about blushing in front of the postman or woman. The booklet is really good because even though I knew about most of the items I think this adds to the fun with your partner by reading it together and enjoying that intimacy too. I think it’s an ideal gift for a really close friend or for yourself.

The 4Play team said:

“In the world we live in, there are so many distractions that make us think the grass is greener elsewhere. The 4Play pleasure box is a tool that enables couples to focus on each other and water the grass together.”

How exciting then that you can visit their site to order and also enter here in the giveaway for your chance to win your very own box!

Giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Open to over 18’s with a UK postal address.

You can check out the 4playteam on Instagram too.

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Disclaimer: Lucky old me, I was sent one of these boxes to review. All opinions are my own.

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Thought of the day…

If all else fails then bake some rocky road!

Mothers Day Gift Guide

Colorland

There are so many important events to remember each year that the Colorland people have got it covered by helping us to remember everything with their calendar range. My calendar is used constantly so I was drawn to this pretty quickly. What I also love is photo books.

I created a beautiful photo book covering what we all got up to as a family last year. I love the fact that I can have a whole area of photo books on my book shelf to look through of special events and holidays. My boys and I will often snuggle up and look through them and reminisce. Time flies and the boys are growing at such a speed that it’s wonderful to see how much they have changed from year to year. We get up to so much that it is a wonderful way to reflect back on what each of us has done.

I’m so pleased to be able to offer all of my readers a promotional deal. You can get a 32 page Photobook Exclusive A4 (Portrait/Landscape) at a price of £11.99 GBP +free shipping (70% off)

All you have to do is enter the code: MDMYREALFAIRY at the checkout. Expiry date is: 30.04.2018

For other fun tips and ideas have a look at their facebook page.

Colorland ship to UK, Ireland, Spain, Czech Republic, Lithuania, Germany, France, Italy and Belgium and you can contact them if you have any questions regarding other destinations.

Bowe Organics

Bowe Organics was founded by Diane after her love of using organic products when she was hairdressing in London developed in a passion to create her own range. Diane launched her first line in 2017 with her organic lash oil.

Mothers Day Gift Guide

I like this because it is a one stop product for my eyes. You can use the oil on both lashes and brows to improve the health and hydration, this helps optimise the appearance of length and fullness. There are lots of pluses with both the luxury ingredients used to create the lash oil and the fact that it has been registered with the vegan society.

Diane is a lady on a mission to bring us a fabulous new line of beauty products and she has a lip balm soon to be released.

You can find out more about her and her products on both instagram and facebook at boweorganics

GiftsOnline4U

GiftsOnline4U has just about every product you could think of covered that you could ask for and you can have it personalised too.

This Mothers Day I’m having a dinner party for myself and my mummy friends; a group of gorgeous friends who met while our children were in nursery and have grown up together. I love having my get together with these ladies as we have so much in common. It’s also a time to really treat each other and for them not to have to cook, wash up or run around after anyone else.

So it was ideal to have the chance to review and buy some personalised alcohol to sip away while having our meal. It’s not an everyday thing to have a bottle of fizz to share and this one was extra special!

You can see the one I designed below, I’m so pleased with it and can’t wait until our meal.

The bottle looks so special with its personalised pewter label which is exclusive to GiftsOnline4U and you don’t need to worry about ordering a bottle to come by post as it was packaged really well.

Mothers Day Gift Guide

You can see the range of personalised wine and the great choice on offer. The ordering is easy to do and the step by step guide couldn’t be simpler.

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Your Special Giveaway

As a Happy Mothers Day treat I also have a giveaway just for you. Enter for a chance to win.

Worldwide entries

Social Soiree Pack of 12 Blank Notelets & Envelopes for Invitations & Thank You Cards

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Let me know what you think of the items in the guide in the comments below, I love to get your feedback.

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6 tips on how to support a friend through IVF with donor eggs

If a friend of yours has confided in you they’re planning to have fertility treatment, show them they can count on you from the start. The sheer fact that they told you about their plans for IVF with donor eggs is big news. This means she trusts you. Let your friend know you appreciate the trust.

If you’ve never dealt with infertility or are new to the concept of IVF with donor eggs, supporting an infertile person may seem tricky at first. Here’s what you can do.

Take it seriously

Don’t minimize the problem saying that “everything will be OK, you just need to relax and have treatment.” Infertility and egg donation are a big deal. IVF with donor eggs is highly successful treatment, however, the decision to have it needs to be well-thought-out and not hurried. Sit down together and have a look at the egg donation reviews online or egg donor profiles, if your friend is happy to do so. If she prefers to do it with her partner, you should respect her decision.

Ask them if they need anything from you

If you aren’t sure how you can get involved, simply ask. It’s better to voice your doubts than say something unnecessary. Ask them what you can do to help, if they want to talk about it and offer your time to just sit down, have a cuppa and listen. Just be there for her. However, don’t limit your conversations to IVF topics. Remember – you are still her friend. If you can, go out together and have some fun. If you prefer to stay in, have a girls’ night at home and prepare chocolate dessert.

Be kind and understanding

Kindness doesn’t cost anything. Be sensitive to the challenges your friend is currently facing. All in all, very few things are as painful and heart-breaking as the inability to conceive and carry your own child. It is a delicate topic – just give your friend a huge dose of love and care in this difficult moment in her life.

Don’t complain about your own children or pregnancy

If you have children or are currently pregnant, bear in mind that your friend would probably love to have sleepless nights or even a pregnancy heartburn if that meant she could easily become a parent. Try to save your kids and pregnancy updates for your other friends.

Back her up in all her decisions

Show your friend you support her no matter what decisions she makes. You can be sure that she and her partner have already spent countless days and nights discussing their options. If they plan to travel abroad to a more reliable clinic with better success rates, show her you are with her along the way. If she needs someone to look after her dog or cat, offer help. Such small gestures sometimes count more than the big.

Get Involved in advocacy

And, finally, spread awareness about IVF with donor eggs. Did you know that most advocacy efforts come from infertile couples and friends/family? What can you do? It is not a time-consuming commitment. Even advocating on a small scale helps. Overheard somebody speaking about test-tube designer babies or picky parents who choose their baby’s sex or eye colour? Speak up and refute the myths. In most countries gender-selection (family-planning) is legally banned and, in reality, infertile couples don’t care about the sex of their baby. They just want to become parents.

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