End of term teachers gifts. Do you think of it as an obligatory thank you or a way to express your gratitude to the person that has helped and nutured your child over the past school year? Some parents love to spend time helping their children create a personal handcrafted present while others contemplate how much should you spend on an end of term teachers gift.

So if you think that your childs teacher has enough mugs and boxes of chocolates and want to buy something, what do you buy that isn't going to break the bank.

*Disclaimer* if you are my daughters teacher, stop reading now (please).

1. Earrings - Now I know that not every teacher has their ears pierced but with kind words such as "it takes a big heart to shape a little mind", that make me feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside, whilst still providing a practical gift, this gets a thumbs up from me. The best part, they are currently reduced from £15 to £10 on the Little Keepsake Company website. 

2. Candles - Everyone loves a candle and it is perfect for regifting if the person is really averse to the scent you choose. I adore candles and so was beyond excited to find the copy of the Jo Malone candles were back in at Aldi. £4 instead of £44 - that is a saving which is too good to miss!

3. Pencil Case - Who says that pencil cases are just for the children? Teachers need to keep their pens in order too and we fell in love with this personalised one from Hope House Press this week. Top tip - if you sign up to the Hope House Press website, you get offers sent to you like we did this week. We used the "SALE" code at the checkout and got this pencil case, personalised and delivered to us for just over £10.

4. Practical Gifts - Hope House Press introduced me to We Are Scamp and their fabulous tote bag which purely states "I am a teacher, what is your superpower". I love this and at £14 it is reasonably priced, practical and perfect to use as a gift bag if you were so inclined!

5. Wine - After a year of looking after 30 or so "little darlings" I would say that most teachers are due a well deserved drink. Tesco have some online wine exclusives, saving up to £15 if you buy a case (you can always keep a bottle or two for yourself). If you use your clubcard vouchers, this will save even more! 

At my daughters school some parents like to get individual gifts, whereas some prefer to add to a collection to get the teachers a larger, or more expensive gift. At the end of the day, there is not a right or wrong way or indeed a value than  can be placed on the perfect present but I have loved my daughters teachers this year and hope that they love the gifts we have bought, as much as I have loved finding them (and saving money too).

As always I’m linking up with Cass, Emma and Becky  in this week’s ‘Five Fabulously Frugal things I’ve done this week linky.

What have you done to save this week?

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If, like me, you live in a world where baby dolls are treated the same as real babies and your children watch endless videos on Youtube of toys being unwrapped then we have something for you! 

LOL Surprise Dolls are the ultimate unboxing toys with 7 layers to get through. There is a cute little printed zip design on each layer, which, once you have pulled it open reveals stickers and blind bags inside. The "let me out of here" blind bags contain everything you need for your LOL Surprise Doll such as dresses, shoes, accessories and a drinks bottle for each character. 

 

We have had great fun trying to find out which of the dolls cry, spit, tinkle or change colour. There are 45 in Series 1, so there are lots to collect but you just have to keep your fingers crossed that you don't get a duplicate as each ball really is a surprise!

So if you want to join the LOL excitement with the ultimate unboxing experience that offers a different surprise with each layer, we are thrilled to have one of the LOL Surprise! Dolls to giveaway. Just enter below and good luck!

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

 Terms & Conditions

The Prize: LOL Surprise - Series 1
The winners will be chosen at random by the random winner generator on Rafflecopter and notified within 7 working days by email
By entering this competition, you understand that your details may be retained for future mailings. You can unsubscribe from this mailing list at any time.
There is no monetary equivalent.
Little Lilypad Co take no /responsibility for loss or damage in the despatch of prizes
If the prize is unclaimed within 7 days we reserve the right to redraw the winner.
End Date 08/07/2017 at 12am

 

 

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Many years ago my eldest daughter had a number of Lalaloopsy dolls and whilst I always thought that they were super cute, my youngest daughter never showed much interest. So when the time came, I gave her collection of dolls away to a charity shop. Typically just months later my youngest daughter becomes obsessed with baby dolls and suddenly I am kicking myself for giving her sisters away. Since then and on a fairly daily basis, my daughter asks for a potty for her "babies" so when we were given the chance to review the Lalaloopsy Babies Potty Surprise, we leapt at the chance. 

Lalaloopsy dolls are not your conventional "baby dolls", they have a  very distinctive look about them and the Lalaloopsy Babies Potty Surprise is no different.

Obviously you have to wrestle with all the ties and packaging whilst having a small child bouncing up and down next to you while you attempt to remove everything from the box but once it is open, the set includes:

• Lalaloopsy Baby wearing a cute little bib and a pretty nappy.
• Potty,
• Bowl with spoon
• 3 pots of magic food. wearing a cute little bib and a pretty nappy. 

My daughter played with the doll by itself for some time before asking about the "potty surprises" and so we set about trying to feed the doll with the food. (Think magic sand and you won't be far wrong).

So in theory you pop the spoon with some food on it into her mouth and turn the dial on the back of the baby to one of the four positions.Then you need to turn the belly button to the right and hold it there for a few seconds. (this is the tough bit and my daughter couldn't do this by herself). You then need to sit the baby on the potty and gently rock her forwards and backwards a few times, which techinically triggers the poop release and out comes the potty surprise. 

In all honesty, we haven't managed to consistently achieve some of the shapes above but that doesn't mean we haven't laughed everytime the baby has pooped out a random shape into the potty.

At £29.99, the Lalaloopsy Babies Potty Surprise is not only well priced but well made too. Aside from this, my daughter adores her and gets excited to play with her every single day. We are therefore just as excited to give you the chance to win one and all you need to do is enter below!

Good luck

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Prize: Lalaloopsy Babies Potty Surprise Doll £29.99
The winners will be chosen at random by the random winner generator on Rafflecopter and notified within 7 working days by email
By entering this competition, you understand that your details may be retained for future mailings. You can unsubscribe from this mailing list at any time.
There is no monetary equivalent.
Little Lilypad Co take no /responsibility for loss or damage in the despatch of prizes
If the prize is unclaimed within 7 days we reserve the right to redraw the winner.
End Date 30/06/2017 at 12am

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Nobody ever said that being a parent would be easy, but we’re sure nobody said it would be so hard at times either! When baby duties and all the other details of life are beginning to stack up around you, it can be difficult to keep a calm and relaxed attitude. However, just because that attitude doesn’t come naturally doesn’t mean you can’t get it! You just need to put the systems in place to make it so. Below, we’ve put together five tips to ensure you can remain a calm parent no matter how hectic things get.

 

Source: Pexels.com

Advice from the Experts

Believe it or not, you’re not the first parent to be overwhelmed by the responsibilities in front of them! Every other mum in the world has been through the same thing, and there’s a lot of literature out there that can guide you on how to navigate the difficult periods. Pick up a few good parenting books and use your downtime to read through them. It’s much better than scrolling through Facebook, especially as reading naturally calms us, too.

Finding Your Moments of Zen

Besides your duties as a parent, how are you spending your time? What we do reflects how we feel. If we’re moving at a million miles per hour, then using our non-baby time to do things that don’t relax us, then there’s no wonder we’re stressed! Start your morning with a jog or some yoga, or whatever it is you like to do. It’ll put you in the right frame of mind to tackle the day head on.

Camille from www.thefloatspa.co.uk said: ‘Yoga is not only used for fitness, it can be a very effective relaxation technique that can calm the mind and motivate you for the day ahead.’

Being Prepared

We can eliminate a lot of issues from our life if we’re just prepared! For example, if you wake up in the morning and have to take care of clothes, meals,  figuring out a plan for the afternoon, and so on, then, of course, you’ll feel overwhelmed. However, if you took care of all of them the night before, you’ll be free and clear. This preparation extends to little time-saving hacks, too. If you have a GP at hand via your smartphone or web browser, you’ll be able to easily get medical advice when it’s needed, without having to book an appointment for the doctor. Getting your supermarket shopping delivered can also save hours each week. In essence, it’s all about using the most of the technology and time-saving hacks available to you!  

Don’t Let The Small Things Cripple You

We’re all confronted by little things each day that threaten to derail our happiness. The next time it happens to you...just let it go (it’s unimportant). Don’t let it work its way under your skin. Ignore, and move on. Life is much easier when we have a relaxed attitude: and it us just an attitude; anyone can have it!

Calling in the Help

And finally, don’t be afraid to rope in the help of your friends and family. Just having people around can be enough to calm us down. There’s no reason to battle through alone!

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